Greerton and Cadets to fight for title

Greerton and Cadets will face each other for the Williams Cup this Saturday. File photo.

A highly competitive game, between two evenly matched teams is the scenario likely to play out in the 2018 Williams Cup Final at the Bay Oval on Saturday.

Eves Realty Greerton and Element IMF Cadets will fight out the Baywide premier cricket prize, which dates back over eight decades, since it was first contested in the 1932-33 season.

The two sides have travelled contrasting routes to the final stanza. Greerton have led the standings since the opening round in late January, brushing aside all six challenges in the qualifying play. Cadets, who sat at the bottom of the standings after the first four weeks of competition, have diced with sudden-death cricket to contest the title decider.

Last weekend, Greerton defeated Bayleys Central Indians in the major semi-final, to move directly to the Williams Cup final stanza. Cadets qualified in fourth place and dispatched Carrus Mount Maunganui last Saturday, before eliminating Central Indians in Sunday's preliminary final in Rotorua.

Both sides will be at full strength with ND all-rounder Brett Hampton returning to the Greerton ranks, as his side chases their fourth Williams Cup title. Hampton is a devastating batsman when in full flight and likes nothing better than to take aim on the boundary ropes.

Two other key Greerton players are opening batsman Tom MacRury and pace bowler Tommy Clout, who have both worn the Bay of Plenty representative uniform this season.

Cadets will have three players in captain Jono Boult, Joe Carter and Sean Davey, who all have played major association cricket in recent seasons. Jono Boult has been in vintage form, taking two Williams Cup six wicket bags, in the last two weeks. The Cadets skipper is also an accomplished batsman who could trouble the Greerton bowling attack.

A Cadets success would give them eleventh Williams Cup title since 1995 and cement second place behind Te Puke, who have won the symbol of Baywide cricket superiority on 16 occasions, since their first triumph in the 1938/39 season.

BOPCA Williams Cup Final 2018

Eves Realty Greerton v Element IMF Cadets @ Bay Oval – 11am start

Williams Cup Victories

Element IMF Cadets: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2017 (10)

Eves Realty Greerton: 1984, 1985, 2012 (3)

BOPCA Williams Cup Honours Board 2018

Batting (Centuries) 147 – Stephen Nicholls (Central Indians v Lake Taupo)

146 – Tai Bridgman-Raison (Te Puke v Lake Taupo)

109 – Ruben Clinton (Cadets v Mount Maunganui)

103 – Joshua Bates (Element IMF Cadets) v Greerton

Bowling (Five wickets) 6/15 – Jono Boult (Cadets v Mount Maunganui)

6/22 – Jono Boult (Cadets v Central Indians)

5/19 – Gurwinder Singh (Cadets v Lake Taupo CC)

5/46 - James Boyd (Greerton v Cadets)

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