Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

The Bay of Plenty's cricket season has quickly hit its stride with the first Bay senior men's representative team of the season to be named this week.

A huge season awaits the Bay of Plenty first XI, who are defending the Northern Districts' prizes; the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl (two-day), and the Brian Dunning (one-day), trophies. However, their biggest challenge will come at Auckland Anniversary weekend, when they face their first defence of the Hawke Cup, in the 2013/2014 season.

Dating back during 100 years, the Hawke Cup is the symbol of minor cricket association superiority in the country. Last season, the Bay won the time-honoured trophy for just the third time since the Bay of Plenty Cricket Association became affiliated to New Zealand Cricket in 1931.

The Bay's representative campaign kicks off in Taupo next Sunday, with the annual ND one-day tournament, with the Brian Dunning trophy on the line. In recent seasons, the Western Bay domination of Baywide club cricket has been reflected in the selection of the Bay teams. Last season, 27 players wore the Bay first team uniform in combat, with just two coming from outside the Western Bay of Plenty.

While the success of Western Bay teams in the Baywide premier competitions looks great – the demise of senior club cricket in the Eastern Bay, including Rotorua, is a real worry in the long-term development of the game in the Bay. It seems to me the disappearance of Rotorua Boys' High and Trident High School from Baywide premier cricket, is removing the opportunity for promising youngsters to flourish in the senior men's game. The naysayers will bleat the school teams don't have the player strength in their ranks. However, my answer is to blend a number of older players, who have experienced top grade cricket with youngsters in a combined team, playing under a school banner.

Much of the Western Bay's success in recent years flows from the schools pathway. In recent seasons, Daniel Flynn and Kane Williamson have gone from the Tauranga Boys' College first XI to Black Cap selection, while Graeme Aldridge and Trent Boult have also played for the New Zealand national team, by way of cricket at Otumoetai College.

Two years ago, a review of Western Bay college cricket revealed a lack of a pathway to take promising secondary schoolboys to senior representative and club cricket. The situation in local cricket mirrored rugby, where there is a real drop-out in players making the jump from school rugby to the senior ranks.

The local cricket solution was to put in place a dedicated Western Bay first XI competition with Bethlehem, Aquinas, Otumoetai and Katikati colleges. Also playing in the new contest was Tauranga Boys' third XI and Eastern Bay's Trident High School, which played by invitation.

The results of a serious first XI title race produced early success. Katikati College's Brody Gilroy, who was a shining star in the ND senior secondary competition last year, was later selected as the 12th man in the Bay of Plenty defence of the Hawke Cup, with Trident High School batsman Pip Thickpenny making the Bay's development team.

While Bay of Plenty Cricket is currently regarded as the strongest minor association in the country, it will need to remain focused on bridging the gap between school cricket and the senior men's game – especially in the Eastern Bay/Rotorua areas – to remain in the top spot.

Seeya at the HRV cup games at the Bay Oval.