Twenty20 cricket is set to take the Baywide Premier ranks by storm when the first two rounds of the inaugural T20 competition hit Rotorua this Saturday.

Bay of Plenty Cricket has introduced the smash and bash of the T20 game into the Baywide format to cater for the enthusiasm of the players who wish to put bat to ball in combat.

The opportunity has been taken to schedule the games throughout the season when the Bay representative team is in action in two-day matches.

This weekend will see two rounds of the Lone Star Tauranga Twenty20 competition played at two different venues in the Sulphur City.

Twenty20 cricket is a recent phenomenon that has swept the cricket scene by storm in the last decade.

The shortened version of the game was introduced by the English Cricket Board as recently as 2003.

A Twenty20 game consists of each side having a single innings of a maximum of 20 overs per side.

The first two rounds in Rotorua will see three games underway at Boord Park with the fourth encounter just down the road at Rotorua Boys' High School.

While Rotorua Boys' has decided not to play in the T20 competition, they have kindly made their ground available for Rotorua fixtures.

An interesting concept this weekend is that fierce Western Bay rivalries that will be played out at neutral venues.

The early afternoon round will match up Element IMF Cadets against Tauranga Boys' College.

While Cadets will lose Ben Christensen, Joe Carter and Jono Boult from their talented batting line-up, it leaves opening for the other Cadets batsmen to step up to the plate.

Matthew Drake showed he is in form, when he crafted a half-century for the Bay Development team last Sunday.

Former Northern Knight all rounder Mark Orchard, who coaches the Tauranga students, is likely to take a leading role in the encounter.

In the bowling department, Tom Clout and Josh Dwight who have both taken six wicket bags for Tauranga Boys' in this season's BOP Cup, could make life difficult for Cadets batting attack.

Tauranga Boys' have received no favours with the draw, having to face Platinum Pacific Reclad Mount Maunganui in the late afternoon second round.

While being without several Bay players, Nick Smith and Mark Divehall are well capable of putting the boundary under attack at every opportunity.

Lonestar Tauranga Baywide Twenty20

Round One: Element IMF Cadets v Tauranga Boys' College, Boord Park1; Te Puke v East Bay United, Rotorua BHS; Eves Realty Greerton v BOP Indians, Boord Park3; Platinum Pacific Reclad Mount Maunganui v iTCo Central, Boord Park2.

Round Two: Central v Cadets, Boord2; BOP Indians v Te Puke, Boord3; East Bay United v Greerton, Rotorua BHS; Tauranga Boys' College v Mount Maunganui, Boord1.