Cricket: Central have final in sight

Rotorua's Central Cricket Club will play in a home semifinal tomorrow in the Williams Cup. Pictured is Central's Kyle Blanchard. Photo / Stephen Parker

It is a big weekend of semifinal play in the 2015 Williams Cup - as Bay of Plenty's best cricket clubs go on the hunt for a spot in the final.

Rotorua's Central Cricket Club will play host to Otumoetai Cadets in the first semifinal tomorrow at Smallbone Park in Rotorua.

The winner of that semifinal will go straight to the final while the loser will get a second chance during the preliminary final on Sunday.

The winner of the other semifinal, between third-placed Mount Maunganui and fourth-placed Te Puke, will qualify for the preliminary final on Sunday.

A new format introduced last season rewards the top two who enter the Williams Cup play-offs after the round-robin competition.

The Williams Cup, along with the Attrill Cup, are the two oldest Bay of Plenty Cricket trophies with the Williams Cup having been contested since the City Cricket Club from Rotorua lifted aloft the trophy in triumph in the 1932/33 season.

Central and Cadets have met a couple times in one-day cricket this season.

In the Baywide Cup earlier this year, the Rotorua side were removed for 149 with Johnny Barrow and Ryan Pedley both reaching the 40s, while Cadets' Christian MacDonald grabbed a four-wicket bag.

The Western Bay side cruised to a six-wicket win led by Joe Carter with a match-winning 68.

Just a few weeks ago, the Bay of Plenty intercity rivals met again in the Williams Cup qualifying rounds, with Central winning a thriller.

Batting on a home wicket at the Tauranga Domain, Cadets were removed for what looked to be a modest 113.

However, the Rotorua visitors won an dogfight, to take home the victory by a solitary wicket.

The Williams Cup grand final will be played next Saturday.

•Williams Cup playoffs (games start at 12pm):
Semifinals tomorrow: Game One: Central v Cadets, Smallbone Park; Game Two: Mount Maunganui v Te Puke, Blake1.

Preliminary final Sunday: Loser of game one v winner of game two.