After a postponed match last weekend, the iTCo Challenge Shield finally goes on the line this Saturday when Platinum Pacific Reclad Mount Maunganui travels to the Eastern Bay of Plenty to take on shield holders East Bay United in a Williams Cup encounter.

The Challenge Shield was instituted by Bay of Plenty Cricket last season for competition within the two Baywide championships.

East Bay United takes the trophy into the winter with this Saturday's match being their first defense of the season.

Mount Maunganui, which is the current Baywide champion of champions, has been in rampant form in early season matches with just a solitary loss to Greerton on their ledger.

Last weekend, Mount opening batsman Mark Divehall took hold of the game against Tauranga Boys' College smashing an unbeaten 136.

Divehall, who has recently returned from injury, went into overdrive to post the season's highest total, 136, follows a double century late last season.

While Mount Maunganui has plenty of batting firepower, the home side is not short of batsmen that like to put bat to ball. Bay representative players James Mitchell and Alex Yates have both been in fine form – while captain Dean Butterworth, who is primarily regarded as a strike bowler, smashed 75 runs against Te Puke recently.

Defending Williams Cup champions Element IMF Cadets will travel to the Sulphur City to play Rotorua Boys' High. The formbook would suggest that Cadets should post a comfortable victory, however, the Rotorua students have posted some good totals this year.

Rotorua Boys' team mentor James Porter has been in good form with both bat and ball, with Bay age groups reps Richie Megaw and Shayde Perham, making their mark in early season matches.

Dawson Insurance Eastern Pirates, who won the Rotorua one-day championship, could face a stern challenge from Tauranga Boys' College at Boord Park. Led by James McMillan, the Rotorua side was top of the table after the Williams Cup round robin play last season.

The Tauranga students who won the Williams Cup two season ago have an ace card though in former ND contracted player Mark Orchard, who teaches at the school.

There is no more even match-up in the weekend's games, than the encounter at Smallbone Park, between iTCo Central and Ultimate Motor Group Te Puke.

In the last decade, the two sides have had turns as the heavyweight of Baywide cricket, however, both sides have been guilty of inconsistent form in the last couple of seasons.