Two Bay of Plenty inter-city match-ups take centre stage in the BOP Cup today. There is no keener rivalry in Baywide cricket competitions than when teams from the Sulphur City play their Western Bay counterparts.

Rotorua one-day champions Dawson Insurance Eastern Pirates travel to play Element IMF Cadets at the Tauranga Domain in a match where there is a likelihood of plenty of runs being blasted by both sides.

Eastern Pirates Julian Danby, who has developed into a genuine all rounder, is a hard-hitting batsman with a Williams Cup century to his name this season.

James MacMillan and Mark Chapman are two other Pirates players who like to take on the opposition bowlers.

However, Cadets also have plenty of batting firepower with Ben Christensen and Scott Steward in their ranks.

The form batsman in the second half of recent Baywide seasons has been Christensen, while Scott Steward blasted 107 not out against Tauranga Boys' last weekend.

Another intriguing match-up will be fought out at Smallbone Park in Rotorua, between iTCo Central and Tauranga Boys' College.

The game could develop into a classic bowlers versus batsmen contest.

Central bowlers Andrew Gibbs and Jason Trembath grabbed first and third places on the Williams Cup bowling averages with Trembath producing the remarkable figures of six wickets for five runs against BOP Indians.

However, former first class player Mark Orchard, who coaches Tauranga Boys' College, showcased his batting skills when he topped the Williams Cup batting averages, posting nearly 400 runs.

New Zealand Under-18 squad members Sean Davey and Joe Carter have both posted totals in the top 10 of the Williams Cup batting averages, and add plenty of firepower to the Tauranga Boys' line-up.

While Baywide newcomers BOP Indians have grabbed two successive victories in their last two encounters, they face a massive challenge against Platinum Pacific Reclad Mount Maunganui at Blake Park.

The Mount side, which is the current Baywide Champion of Champions, has fashioned an unbeaten record in Baywide cricket this season.

While the formbook would suggest that Ultimate Motor Group Te Puke and Eves Realty Greerton should have little trouble with Rotorua Boys' High and East Bay United respectively – both the Rotorua students and the Eastern Bay team have players capable of causing upsets.

BOP Cup 12 February 2011

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

BOP Cup Points Table

BOP Indians 20, Cadets 20, Mount Maunganui 20, Eastern Pirates 20, Greerton 12.5, Central 12.5, Te Puke 11,Tauranga Boys' College 6.5, Rotorua BHS 3, East Bay United 3.