Bye this season due to Whakatane pullout

Top performer: Donovan Deeble will be in action for Otumoetai Cadets in the opening round of the Baywide cricket season tomorrow. Photo / Andrew Warner

The new Baywide cricket season is set to begin tomorrow, with seven teams chasing premier honours in the Baywide Cup, Twenty20 and Williams Cup.

However, the withdrawal of Whakatane United has resulted in a bye during the six months of competition.

Bay of Plenty Cricket's Champions of Champions, Carrus Mount Maunganui, who won the Hart Family Trophy for the third successive season last season, are again eyeing the big prize in the Baywide competitions.

At the Mount Maunganui premier side, long-time all-rounder Nick Smith is taking on the captain's role. Last season his name went on the Mount honours board with a maiden century and a six-wicket bag in the Williams Cup final.

Baywide Cupholders Eves Realty Greerton have four new players. Former Poverty Bay rep Jeremy Bates and Don McCall, along with Sean Dykes and Harrison Perry from Tauranga Boys', will debut for the club this season.

Tom MacRury, Cam Neal and Northern Knights' Brett Hampton form a potent batting attack. MacRury smashed last year's highest score of 171 in Baywide Cup action. Skipper Shane Wineti, Richie Earl and keeper Kent Hodder are other more-than-handy Greerton batsmen, with the pace bowling spearheaded by Hampton, Campbell Thomas and Dan Spencer. Spencer's 7/23 was the best Baywide wicket haul last season.

New World Te Puke new recruits include quality bowlers Christian MacDonald (Cadets) and Alex Gooding (Mount Maunganui), who join Brody Gilroy in a potent attack. Te Puke stalwart Stephen Crossan will skipper the squad for the first time, with the batting led by Tai Bridgman-Raison and Sam and Scott Tallott, who have shifted to the Bay from Gisborne.

Teachers Charles Williams and Tim Clarke take on the role of player/coaches for Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys' College. Key players are hard-hitting opening batsman Sean Wakelin, all-rounder Josh Ormrod, opening bowler Gurinder Singh and Tom Renouf.

Rotorua's Bayleys Central won back-to-back Baywide T20 titles last season and will again be captained by Jason Trembath. Bay of Plenty Indians have one of the youngest captains in Yohanna Irani, who played for BOPCA Coastland Senior Secondary team last season. Northern Knights batsman Bharat Popli will be a key batsman when available.

-Team news, draw: Page 30