The hot summer days of February and March bring extra anticipation for the second tier cricket players throughout the Bay of Plenty.

The McNaughton trophy preliminary round begins Febrary 3.

On the line is the McNaughton trophy, which is the prize at stake in the Bay of Plenty Baywide Reserve Grade championship.

The origins of the Baywide Reserve Grade prize, come from the donation by the McNaughton Family in Te Puke, of a trophy for competition between second tier teams from the Tauranga and Te Puke sub-associations.

A number of years ago the competition was expanded to include all Reserve Grade sides in Bay of Plenty cricket.

Played on Sunday afternoons in February and March, the 2013 competition has seen the addition of a qualifying round necessitated by the addition of two extra entries this year.

Geyser City and BOP Indians, who play in the Rotorua Reserve Grade competition, will square off against Greerton and Te Puke respectively – with the winners advancing to the quarterfinals.

Already sitting in the quarterfinals are the Wanderers who represent the Taupo region, Rotorua Central and Mount Maunganui, Katikati and Cadets from the Western Bay of Plenty.

Defending champions Mount Maunganui and Katikati have dominated the final stanza in recent seasons.

Mount Maunganui has beaten Katikati to aloft the Baywide trophy in triumph for the last two-seasons. While in 2010 Katikati defeated (Rotorua) Central in the McNaughton final.

McNaughton trophy 2013 entries are:

Geyser City, Central, BOP Indians (Rotorua) R&A Sangha CC, Cadets, Greerton, Mount Maunganui, Katikati, Te Puke (Western BOP) Wanderers (Taupo)

McNaughton Trophy Draw:

February 3 (preliminary round) Geyser CC v Greerton, Smallbone Park; Te Puke v BOP Indians, Te Puke Domain

February 17 – Quarterfinals

March 3 – Semi-Finals

March 17 – McNaughton trophy final