Cricket: No play as rain dampens opening day

The opening day of the Baywide premier cricket season was rained out on Saturday. Pictured is the Rotorua Central team taking shelter at Ray Boord Park. Photo / Ben Fraser

Inclement weather on Saturday saw play abandoned without a ball being bowled in all four Baywide Cup games.

Both games in Rotorua at Ray Boord Park were abandoned as well as the two matches in the Western Bay of Plenty.

All eight teams sat on the sideline, on the opening day of the season, waiting to see if the squally showers would abate, to allow late afternoon play.

Hail was the final straw in both Rotorua and the Western Bay of Plenty, with points eventually shared in the four fixtures.

The match-up between Carrus Mount Maunganui and City Sports Bar Te Puke saw the return of the Baker Cup to Western Bay Cricket, but the trophy will be put on hold for a couple more weeks.

The longtime Tauranga Cricket Association premier trophy, which hasn't been contested for a number of years, has been given a new life as the Western Bay of Plenty premier challenge trophy.

With Mount Maunganui being the last winner of the Baker Cup, it was decided that they would start the season with the challenge prize.

The trophy will be put up within the Baywide and Williams Cup competitions.

Rotorua Central will face off against Mount Maunganui next weekend (away) while the Rotorua-based Bay of Plenty Indians will also hit the road to play Tauranga Boys' College.

• Results on Saturday (round one): All games abandoned: Eves Realty Greerton v Element IMF Cadets, Carrus Mount Maunganui v City Sports Bar Te Puke, Central v Tauranga Boys' College, BOP Indians v Whakatane United.