The second leg of the BOP Cricket Baywide Premier competitions commences today with the first round of the BOP Cup.



The BOP Cup was introduced in 2008 in order to provide two full rounds of Premier Baywide cricket each season. Unlike the Williams Cup where there is post section play, the cup is a straight out race for the title over nine rounds of round robin play.

An extra edge to the Baywide second leg is that the Hart Family Trophy is on the line. The BOP Cricket Champion of Champions trophy, which is named after the well-known Te Puke cricket family, is awarded to the Baywide Premier team that takes the most points from the Williams and BOP Cup competitions.

There will be plenty of interest in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, where East Bay United will have the iTCo Challenge Shield on the line, against Rotorua visitor's iTCo Central.

East Bay United took the challenge trophy from Tauranga Boys' College last season.

A combination of rained out matches and a default sees the Eastern Bay side defending the challenge trophy for the first time this season.

Ultimate Motor Group Te Puke, which found some solid form in the later rounds of the Williams Cup, will be chasing its fourth successive victory when they meet Tauranga Boys' College at Nicholson Field.

However, Tauranga Boys' have a solid unit led by team mentor Mark Orchard and lost just one encounter in the Williams Cup qualifying rounds.

On Sunday they will play in the rescheduled 2011 Williams Cup final.

A match-up between the current Rotorua and Western Bay one-day champions will take place at Smallbone Park in Rotorua where Dawson Insurance Eastern Pirates are at home to Platinum Pacific Reclad Mount Maunganui.

In other matches, Bay of Plenty Indians and Rotorua Boys' High School will play a local Rotorua derby, with Eves Realty Greerton and Element IMF Cadets meeting at Pemberton Park.

BOP Cup 29 January 2011

Dawson Insurance Eastern Pirates v Platinum Pacific Reclad Mount Maunganui, Smallbone Park; Tauranga Boys' College v Ultimate Motor Group Te Puke, Nicholson Field; Rotorua Boys HS v BOP Indians, RBHS; Eves Realty Greerton v Element IMF Cadets, Pemberton Park; East Bay United v iTCo Central, Rex Morepeth Park.