Pāpāmoa made a good start, before losing their first wicket with 48 runs on the board.
The Cadets bowlers then grabbed the momentum to take five wickets for 25 runs.
Paul Inglis (27no) combined with Reece Shelton (24) and Guy Wilkins (20) to put on solid lower-order partnerships, the visitors squeezing home with eight balls and one wicket to spare.
Bond & Co Mount Maunganui closed the gap on competition leaders Eves Realty Greerton, who sat out the bye.
The current Bay of Plenty Cup titleholders were in sizzling form in reaching 343 for the loss of five wickets against Craigs Investment Partners Geyser.
Long-serving Mount all-rounder Peter Drysdale extended his list of club centuries to 12, belting 124, which included 14 fours and one six.
Niven Dovey posted 93 and Dominic Crombie chipped in with a half-century.
Geyser skipper Cody Fell was the best of his side's batsmen with a gritty 73 runs as they were removed for 158 to give Mount Maunganui a 185-run win.
Craig Baldry took three wickets at a cost of 41 runs with veteran Tiny Goodin also getting into the action with two Geyser wickets.
Flying Mullet Te Puke's away trip to Generation Homes Lake Taupō was mainly one-way traffic as the visitors took home an eight-wicket win, after bowling the hosts out for 85.
Roger Urbahn was the best of the Taupō batsmen with 22 runs, with Bay of Plenty top-order representative batsman Stephen Crossan hitting 37 runs for the victors.
Bayleys Central Indians had a successful visit to Nicholson Field in Tauranga City when they dispatched Holland Beckett Law Tauranga Boys' College by 64 runs.
Nandeera Nawela top-scored with 41 in the combined side's 183/9. Tauranga Boys' bowler Riley Brady got his name up in lights with four wickets.
Jason Spice, batting at nine, top-scored with 27 runs as Tauranga Boys' were removed for 119.
Central Indians skipper Stephen Nicholls led the way, taking four wickets with Andrew Gibbs returning 2/20.
Bay of Plenty Cup results
Mount Maunganui 343/4 (P Peter Drysdale 124, Niven Dovey 93, Dominic Crombie 50) beat Geyser 158 (Cody Fell 73, Ben Astwood 31; Craig Baldry 3/41).
Central Indians 183/9 (Nadeera Nawela 41, Ben Sandford 25; Riley Brady 4/28) beat Tauranga Boys' College 119 (Jason Spice 27. Tim Clarke 23; Stephen Nicholls 4/32, Andrew Gibbs 2/20).
Lake Taupō 85 (Roger Urbahn 22; Hamish Wilde 3/16) lost to Te Puke 91/2 (Stephen Crossan 37).
Cadets 158 (Marcel Collett 33, Donovan Deeble 31; Guy Wilkins 3/21, Ashish Dhameliya 3/46) lost to Pāpāmoa 159/9 (Matt Horne 28, Paul Inglis 27no; Cameron O'Dea 3/23, Mayura Galappaththi 3/31).
Eve's Realty Greerton the bye.
Points table
Greerton 42, Mount Maunganui 42, Te Puke 34, Central Indians 28, Papamoa 24, Cadets 22, Tauranga Boys College 18, Lake Taupo 8, Geyser 6.