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

This Saturday brings the changing of the guard in the Western Bay sporting codes, with the last day of the cricket season and the opening day of the club rugby season.

It is a big day for six cricket teams, as they battle for three pieces of cricket silverware in their respective championship finals.

There is also a changing of the guard in the Williams Cup title fight this season, with neither of the Baywide heavyweights of Mount Maunganui or Otumoetai Cadets having made it to the final stanza. The Williams Cup is one of the oldest Bay of Plenty Cricket trophies and has been contested since the City Cricket Club from Rotorua lifted aloft the trophy in triumph in the 1932/1933 season.

The 2014 version of the big prize in Bay of Plenty Cricket will be fought out at the Bay Oval Mount Maunganui this Saturday afternoon. There has been a change in Williams Cup post-section play instituted by Bay Cricket this year. The new Williams Cup format rewarded the top two qualifiers, with one team getting a second bite of the cherry. Te Puke posted an unbeaten run to finish in the top spot after the round robin competition, with Cadets securing second place in the qualifying race.

Last Saturday, Te Puke and Cadets squared off with the winner getting a direct path to the grand final, while Mount Maunganui and Greerton faced each other in a sudden death eliminator. Te Puke batted first and dealt to the Cadets bowling attack posting a 278/8, with Tai Bridgman-Raison smashing 119 not out. Such was the devastation the long-time Te Puke player handed out, he smashed four sixes and a four in Te Pukes last over. Only Ben Christensen's half-century gave the Cadets any respectability, as they were bundled out for 123 and relegated to last Sunday's preliminary final.

Greerton, who sneaked into the play-offs after a late run of form, was just as dominant in dispatching Mount Maunganui at their home base at Blake Park. Greerton batted first and reached 214/7 with Bay representative players Tom MacRury and Brett Hampton grabbing half-centuries. The Mount reply was under attack from the opening ball from the Greerton quicks of Tommy Clout, Brett Hampton and Campbell Thomas. The home side was removed for 114 to give Greerton the second spot in the next day's preliminary final.

The Pemberton Park-based side was even more dominant against Cadets in the penultimate game of the 2014 Williams Cup. Greerton reached 218/8, then bundled Cadets out for just 76, to set up a Greerton verses Te Puke Williams Cup Final. It could be well worth local cricket followers turning up to the Bay Oval this Saturday, where a battle of attrition is likely to take place before the 2014 Williams Cup champions are crowned.

Four local grassroots teams get their day in the sun on Saturday, when the Western Bay of Plenty Reserve and B Grade titles are fought out on the top grounds at Blake Park. Top qualifiers Sangha Raavi XI, which is a group of extremely passionate Indian players, will face off against Katikati. The team from the extremities of the Western Bay will be desperate for victory after losing the final stanza's of the McNaughton Trophy and Knockout Cup during the last two weekends. Winning will be important to both teams, with them having aspirations to play premier cricket in the future.

The last two winners of B Grade title have won through to the 2014 title decider, where defending champions Grasshoppers will meet 2012 title holders Wanderers, for the right to hold the B Grade silverware aloft in triumph.