Two Bay of Plenty senior representative cricket teams are going through preparations to defend a piece each of Northern Districts Cricket silverware.

Last season the Bay of Plenty senior men's representative side annexed the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl, which is the symbol of ND minor association cricket superiority.

To add to the Bay of Plenty superiority in the ND representative season, the Bay Development team won the Basil McBurney trophy, awarded to the winner of the annual ND Development competition.

The third Bay side to chase ND silverware in the 2012/13 season is the Bay of Plenty women's team who won the ND Women's Championship for the first time, two seasons ago.

First out of the blocks is the Bay women's team who play three games on the last weekend in October 2012.

On Saturday, October 27, they play a limited over encounter with Poverty Bay at Blake Park Mount Maunganui before backing the next day against Hamilton and Waikato Valley, in two T20 games at the same venue.

Bay of Plenty's defence of the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl kicks off in Taupo in mid-November.

In three days of cutthroat competition, the six ND teams take part in the annual ND one-day tournament.

A good start can set teams up for the season long competition, while two defeats (or more) usually means catch-up cricket for the remainder of the Fergus Hickey competition.

Also at stake are the Hawke Cup qualifying competition points.

In a separate calendar year competition, the ND winner receives a mandatory challenge in February or March of the following year. Going into the ND one-day tournament, the Bay team lead the Hawke Cup qualifying on 20 points from Hamilton (15 points) and Northland (10 points).

On the first day of the Taupo tournament, the Bay side could cement the ND Hawke Cup challenge, if they defeat long-time rivals Northland.

On day two they square against current Hawke Cup titleholders Hamilton, with the Waikato team not participating in the qualifying series, as they will defend the prestigious NZ Cricket minor association trophy in the first defence of the season.

If the Bay side defeats Northland, they could enter the last days qualifying play against Counties Manukau, secure in the knowledge that they will be the Northern Districts Hawke Cup challenger.

BOP Senior Men's Representative Team Programme (Fergus Hickey Rosebowl)

November 11/13 ND Fergus Hickey One Day tournament at Taupo

11 Nov v Northland

12 Nov v Hamilton

13 Nov v Counties Manukau

Nov 24/25 ND Fergus Hickey – BOP v Northland at BOP Oval

December 8/9 ND Fergus Hickey – BOP Counties Manukau at BOP Oval

January 13 ND Fergus Hickey – BOP v Waikato Valley at Cambridge Square

February 3 ND Fergus Hickey – BOP v Poverty Bay at BOP Oval

February 16/17 ND Fergus Hickey – BOP v Poverty Bay at Harry Barker Reserve

March 2/3 ND Fergus Hickey – BOP v Hamilton at Galloway Park Hamilton

BOP Development Team Program (Basil McBurney Trophy)

November 18 ND Development – BOP v Waikato Valley at Cambridge Square

January 27 ND Development - BOP v Northland at Tauranga

January 28 ND Development – BOP v Counties Manukau at Tauranga

February 10 ND Development – BOP v Hamilton at Jansen Park

BOP Women's Team Program

October 27 ND Women – BOP v Poverty Bay at Blake Park

October 28 ND Women – BOP v Hamilton at Blake Park

October 28 ND Women – BOP v Waikato Valley at Blake Park

January 27 ND Women – BOP v Hamilton at Jansen Park

January 28 ND Women – BOP v Waikato Valley at Jansen Park

February 3 ND Women – BOP v Poverty Bay at Gisborne