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

While Sideline Sid is always banging on about grassroots sport - there is no better example of Western Bay grassroots games than the changing of the seasons this weekend.

Saturday brings the last weekend of the local cricket season and the opening day of the new rugby term.

While the Baywide Williams Cup final stanza will receive all the media coverage, four teams of grade cricket players, will battle out the Western Bay Reserve and B Grade titles.

Over the years various formats have been tried and subsequently discarded. A pre-season meeting a couple of years ago, where the players got to voice their opinions, brought in a two round championship that kicked off on the first day of the season and concluded on closing day.

The differing Reserve and B Grade competition finals reflect the expectations of players in the two divisions.

The Reserve Grade final between Mount Maunganui seconds and Katikati, will be a full on contest with no quarter asked for or given. Both teams are serious about the game and winning the Reserve Grade prize would be a real highlight to be crowed about in later years.

In the Mount Maunganui Club, who have four teams playing in Baywide and Western Bay cricket, the Mount second eleven that plays in the Reserve competition is often the launching pad for youngsters with premier aspirations.

The passion in the Katikati unit is no less intense. A number of youngsters play alongside former premier players who all have the burning desire to win the Western Bay Reserve Grade silverware.

There are few bigger differences in background than the two sides which will fight out the B Grade title.

Grasshoppers, which have been around for some three or four decades, was established by a group of players who wanted to play a more serious level of social cricket.

The Hoppers opponents are the Malwa CC, which are a group of Indian migrants bound together by their intense passion for the game. While the B Grade title will be an intense battle on the field, there will be a more social time on the sideline, with a quiet beer often supped at the change of innings and always at the match conclusion.

There is also intense competition in the Western Bay (Rugby) Championship, which is the second division of local club rugby.

While eight Western Bay clubs field teams in Baywide rugby, the 12 team Western Bay competition that kicks off on Saturday is an interesting mix of local second fifteens and a number of one team clubs.

For the one team clubs of Papamoa, Eastern Districts, Judea and Matakana Island, the local championship provides a direct pathway to Baywide rugby. Last season Katikati, which spent a number of seasons playing in Thames Valley before returning to the Bay of Plenty fold, re-travelled the pathway to playing Baywide rugby this season.

The journey back to Baywide rugby isn't easy, however Katikati played with heart and passion last year to re-enter the Baywide Division One ranks this season. After clinching the Western Bay Championship title in a thriller against Tauranga Sports second team, they entered the Baywide Division Two playoffs.

In the BOPRU finals' day played in driving rain at the Tauranga Domain, Katikati booked their return to the Baywide ranks, winning a battle of attrition with Arataki.

All the teams that enter the cricket playoffs and season long Western Bay rugby season, will do so with hopes of victory but also with the realisation that defeat awaits them if the if they don't perform – whether in the playoffs or the season long rugby season slog to finals day.

Seeya at the Game