Rotorua's Baywide cricket side Central Indians are sitting in the box seat, as the Williams Cup enters the post section phase of the time-honoured cricket competition.

The two Rotorua premier sides that combined in 2016, brought a long history to their amalgamation.

Central CC can trace its roots back to the end of WW2, with the Rotorua Indian Sports Club established in 1958.

The Rotorua combined team, along with Otumoetai Cadets, Te Puke and Mount Maunganui, will contest the preliminary two rounds of post section play this weekend, before the trophy final on Saturday, March 26.

(Rotorua) City Cricket Club were the first name engraved on the Williams Cup in 1933, with the inscription on the trophy reading "Presented to the Rotorua Cricket Association by Mr and Mrs Williams…."

For much of the Williams Cup early life, the trophy was a challenge cricket prize, arriving in the Western Bay of Plenty for the first time when the Albion Cricket Club went back-to-back in the 1935/36 and 1936/37 seasons.

The following season, Te Puke CC won the BOP Cricket big prize, going on to currently lead the winners list with 16 victories.

Whakatane CC triumphed in the Williams Cup three times immediately after WW2, with the 1950s belonging to the Rotorua sides of Rotorua Old Boys, Arawa and Ngongotaha.

Arawa dominated much of the 60s, before the mantle was handed to the Taupo region with Taupo CC and Taupo Old Boys dominating the 1970s.

Western Bay of Plenty sides have ruled the competition in recent decades, with Central CC the last side to wrest the trophy from the Western Bay vicelike grip in the autumn of 2007.

Central Indians finished the 2021/22 Williams Cup qualifying play at the top of the standings, with a sole defeat (to Cadets), to book a home semi-final against Cadets at Smallbone Park.

Under the playing conditions of the Williams Cup, the top two qualifiers enjoy a two life advantage over the two other post section contenders.

A winner take all encounter between Te Puke and Mount Maunganui at Te Puke Domain on Sunday, sees the victor squaring off with the loser of the Central Indians verses Cadets matchup.

Rotorua Indians will be a full strength, Covid allowing, while Cadets are likely to lose two of their young guns in Tim Pringle and Fergus Lellman to representative duties.

The Rotorua representatives will look to skipper Julian Danby and Nadeera Nawela, who occupy high listing on the Williams Cup batting list, with more than 200 runs to their names.

Cadets Andrew Mascall and Marcel Collett have also posted 200 plus runs during the Williams Cup qualifying play.

Both sides have a bowler extraordinaire in their team.

Cadets' Mayura Galappatthi captured a rare eight wicket bag during the current cricket year.

Central Indians' Andrew Gibbs has cricket longevity in spades having been involved with Central's 2007 campaign, and has taken 12 Williams Cup bowling scalps.

While Western Bay of Plenty cricket fans will be hoping for a local team victory, a Central Indians' triumph will be good for the game in the region, in growing talent throughout the Bay of Plenty in the future.

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