Te Puke's Tai Bridgman-Raison is one of two long-serving Baywide premier club batsmen who may extend their most-centuries-for-their-club in the 2018/19 Baywide cricket season. Photo / File
Te Puke's Tai Bridgman-Raison is one of two long-serving Baywide premier club batsmen who may extend their most-centuries-for-their-club in the 2018/19 Baywide cricket season. Photo / File
Long-serving Baywide premier club batsmen Tai Bridgman-Raison and Peter Drysdale have plenty at stake leading their teams' batting attack this weekend - and they could be eyeing extending their most-centuries-for-their-club this season.
New World Te Puke master blaster Bridgman-Raison, who heads some illustrious company on the Te Puke honours boardand last season equalled Llorne Howell's Western Bay of Plenty record of 13 centuries when he belted 146 against GM Painters Lake Taupo CC in a Williams Cup encounter, will be at the forefront of the Te Puke batting attack against Eves Realty Greerton at Pemberton Park on Saturday.
At stake for the veteran Te Puke batsman is the Western Bay of Plenty Cricket challenge prize of the Baker Cup.
Last Saturday, Greerton retained the Baker Cup in an absolute thriller against Mount Maunganui, with the match decided with only two balls to spare.
Drysdale, a Bay of Plenty representative and long-time Mount Maunganui allrounder, is closing in on claiming the magical 3000 representative run target this season.
He has belted 11 centuries for his Mount side, four ahead of James Pamment and last weekend, Drysdale showed his all-round talent when he took four wickets against Greerton in a Baywide Cup thriller.
Drysdale is likely to open the Carrus Mount Maunganui batting attack against Bond & Co Tauranga Boys' College at Nicholson Field.
The students sat out the bye last week and this weekend's test against the Mount will give an indication of where they are likely to sit in the first half of the season.
Nick Smith batting during last weekend's Baywide cricket. Photo / Andrew Warner
Defending Baywide Cup champions Element IMF Cadets will be heavily favoured to despatch Lake Taupo CC at the Tauranga Domain.
Cadets won a hard-fought encounter with Te Puke in round one, banking the win points of the 50-over per side competition.
BOPCA Baywide Cup Draw for November 3: Cadets v Lake Taupo CC, Tauranga Domain. Greerton v Te Puke, Pemberton Park. Tauranga Boys' College v Mount Maunganui, Nicholson Field Bayleys Central Indians the bye.
Points: Cadets 6, Greerton 6, Central Indians 6, Te Puke 0, Mount Maunganui 0, Lake Taupo 0.
