It's time for Tauranga youngsters to put away their rugby boots and oil up the cricket bats as the Western Bay of Plenty season gets underway.

The emergence of spring heralds a busy time for the game in the region, as preparations begin for another hectic campaign.

Photo: File.

Western Bay Cricket is delivering the NZ Cricket Awareness programme in local primary schools, designed to generate interest in the New Zealand Post Superstar Cricket Academy previously known as Have-A-Go Cricket.

The curriculum is aimed at year-one to year-five pupils, and begins with the basics of how to catch and throw as well as holding a bat and hitting the ball.

Each participant receives a gift-pack as well as information on how to register for the local Superstar Cricket Academy.

A pair of well-credentialed senior players are delivering the introduction programme to more than 4000 primary pupils from Pongakawa to Katikati, in term three and four of the school year.

Sean Davey represented New Zealand at the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Australia and has played for the Bay of Plenty senior men's team since making his debut in 2011.

Rebecca Yee, who moved to the Western Bay from Auckland last year, made a significant contribution with the bat in the Bay of Plenty Senior Women's team, finishing second in the batting stakes.

This Friday (September 25) six Northern Knights players will return to their roots with visits to a number of Western Bay of Plenty primary and secondary schools.

Some five of the visiting players have graduated from the Western Bay and Bay of Plenty Cricket pathways, on their journey to playing professional cricket for Northern Districts.

Leading the Northern Knights visit will be captain Daniel Flynn. The left-hand batsman played 49 games for the Black Caps and has blasted 17 first-class centuries, with a highest score of 241.

Northern Knights all-rounder Jono Boult has posted over 500 runs in just 20 first class-games and taken 90 wickets in the Knights' uniform, since his ND debut in 2009.

Northern District's top order batsman Joe Carter holds the Bay of Plenty all-time highest score of 215 not-out, while fellow Knights batsman Bharat Popli has his own piece of Bay of Plenty Cricket history, with a record six centuries to his name.

Brett Hampton is another who likes to take bat-to-ball, while Black Caps international Dean Brownlie is registered with the Mount Maunganui Cricket Club and will round out the visiting Northern Knights.

Western Bay of Plenty Cricket Administrator Dom Warner is having a busy time, taking entries for the WBOPCA junior cricket and secondary schools competitions.

Early indications are for record numbers for Saturday morning junior cricket, with the WBOPCA Secondary Schools competition looking to expand from three to four divisions.