The new six-team BOPCA Baywide premier competitions that kick off this Saturday are likely to produce extremely competitive cricket, with all six sides in contention for the Baywide silverware.

Rotorua Central and Bay of Plenty Indians have combined forces to produce a potent Rotorua team that can challenge the recent Western Bay of Plenty supremacy, in the Baywide and Williams Cup title races

Club cricket kicks off this Saturday. File Photo.

The new format means that both the Baywide and Williams Cup will be fought out over two rounds apiece, with each side playing home and away in both title races.

In the opening round of the Baywide Cup on Saturday, defending titleholders Eves Realty Greerton square off with arch-rivals Element IMF Cadets at Mitchell Park. New World Te Puke and Carrus Mount Maunganui will fight out a replay of last season's Williams Cup title decider, with Bayleys Central Indians travelling to play Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys College at Fergusson Park.

Greerton captain Shane Wineti is impressed by the high standard.

'With six strong sides in this seasons two Baywide competitions we expect every game to be extremely competitive. However if we are able to play at a high standard and maintain consistency week in week out, we fancy our chances in both the Baywide Cup and Williams Cup.”

Otumoetai Cadets proved the most consistent team in last year's Baywide competitions and were rewarded with the Hart Family Trophy Champion of Champions prize at BOPCA prizegiving. Cadets annexed the T20 competition, were runner-up in the Baywide Cup and finished in third place in the Williams Cup. While the T20 competition won't be played this season, the Tauranga Domain based side will be a real force to be reckoned with throughout the season.

While Tauranga Boys College have won the Williams Cup and the T20 competition in the last decade, their greatest contribution to Bay of Plenty Cricket is the school pathway, which has produced recent Black Caps in Kane Williamson and Daniel Flynn and a myriad of professional and senior representative cricket players.

BOPCA Baywide Cup Draw 8 October 2016

Carrus Mount Maunganui v New World Te Puke, Blake3; Element IMF Cadets v Eves Realty Greerton, Mitchell Park; Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys College v Bayleys Central Indians, Fergusson4.

BOPCA BAYWIDE 2016/17 TEAMS:

Carrus Mount Maunganui

Home Ground: Blake Park

2015/16 Top Four Finishes: Runner-up Williams Cup, Fourth Baywide Cup

Player Gains: Essentially the same squad of players as last season

Player Losses: Nil

Captain: Dale Swan

Eves Realty Greerton

Home Ground: Pemberton Park

2015/16 Top Four Finishes: Baywide Cup – Winner Baywide Cup, Fourth Williams Cup

Player Gains: Jared Tutty (Tauranga Boys College) Marcus Niles

Player Losses: Kent Hodder, Josh Bates, Tommy Clout (injury)

Captain: Shane Wineti

New World Te Puke

Home Ground: Te Puke Domain

2015/16 Top Four Finishes': Winner Williams Cup, Third Baywide Cup

Player Gains: Daniel Elyashiv (Tauranga Boys College)

Player Losses: Scott Tallott

Captain: Stephen Crossan Coach: Peter Swan

Element IMF Cadets

Home Ground: Tauranga Domain

2015/16 Top Four Finishes: Third Williams Cup, Runner-up Baywide Cup

Player Gains: Gurwinder Singh (TBC)

Player Losses: Alex Oakley, James Birchall

Captain: Scott Steward

Bayleys Central Indians

Home Ground: Smallbone Park/Boord Park

Co-Captain: Shonit Chandra, Andrew Gibbs.

Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga Boys College

Home Ground: Nicholson Field

2014/15 Top Four Finishes: Fourth equal Williams Cup

Player Gains: Marcel Collett, Rhys Mischewski, Iman Singh (from TBC pathway)

Player Losses: Kamal Bains, Gurwinder Singh, Daniel Elyashiv

Player/Coaches: Charles Williams & Tim Clarke