What is likely to be a rare appearance by NZ Cricket contracted player Trent Boult for Element IMF Cadets – saw the quick bowler grabbing a five-wicket bag against Te Puke, in the opening round of the BOP Cup played at the weekend.

Te Puke won the toss in the BOP Cup match, and elected to bat first and was quickly in trouble when Boult had former Bay representative Tai Bridgeman-Raison LBW for four.

However, fellow Te Puke opener Mitch McCann, settled down to top score for his side with a solid 40 runs.

After the dismissal of McCann, a sixth wicket partnership of 46 runs between Parry Kulaar and S Grogan got the visitors back into match – before Boult roared back to rip through the tail, to have Te Puke all out with 126 runs on the board.

A second wicket partnership between Joe Carter (42no) and Cadets skipper Jono Boult (28) set up the Cadets victory.

Matthew Drake also got amongst the runs with crisp 27 off just 25 balls, as his side cruised to a seven wicket win.

Defending BOP Cup champions Platinum Pacific Reclad Mount Maunganui also had an early finish, when they travelled to play Rotorua Boys' High School.

Batting first the Rotorua students were dismissed for 105, with Andrew Hoogstraten who has returned to the Mount after two seasons in Holland, taking five wickets for 37.

Last seasons Bay of Plenty representative top run scorer Peter Drysdale, showed he was in good touch for the coming season top scoring with an unbeaten 46, as the Mount got home for the loss of just two wickets.

Tauranga Boys' College also made a winning start to the season, chasing down the iTCo Central total of 111 for the loss of just two wickets.

A gritty 36 by central new season recruit Jarred Christoffersen, top scored for the visitors to Nicholson Field.

Tauranga Boys' team mentor Mark Orchard took 4/25, with James Boyd celebrating his elevation to the first XI grabbing three wickets for just two runs.

Bay age group representative Elliott Timoti stroked his way to Tauranga Boys' top score with 62 runs, and put together a 77 run partnership with Thomas MacRury, in the solid victory.

The BOP Indians match-up with East Bay United, was a mirror image of the three other BOP Cup encounters, with the team batting first failing to post a defendable target.

The Indian side took first use of the batting strip and were removed for 126. Sanjay Unka posted his side's top score of 35, with Dean Butterworth and Joel Mathews grabbing three wickets apiece for the visitors.

East Bay United skipper Alex Yates led his side to a six wicket win with a sparkling 72, with team stalwart Steven Ford there at the end of the encounter, on an unbeaten 37 in the six wicket win.

BOPCA Baywide BOP Cup Results

Te Puke 126 (Mitch McCann 40, S Grogan 36, Parry Kulaar 28; Trent Boult 5/24) lost to Element IMF Cadets 127/3 (Joe Carter 42no, Jono Boult 28, Matthew Drake 27)

Central 111 (Jarred Christoffersen 36; Mark Orchard 4/24, James Boyd 3/2, Henry Conway 2/32) lost to Tauranga Boys' College 116/2 (Elliot Timoti 62, Thomas MacRury 21)

Rotorua Boys' High School 105 (Andrew Hoogstraten 5/37) lost to Platinum Pacific Reclad Mount Maunganui 106/2 (Peter Drysdale 46no)

BOP Indians 126 (Sanjay Unka 35; Dean Butterworth 3/18, Joel Mathews 3/3/26, Matt Purdy 2/25) lost to East Bay United 127/4 (Alex Yates 72, Steven Ford 37no)