Transtasman pride is on the line at the Bay Indoor Centre at Mount Maunganui, with teams representing Australia and New Zealand coming to the end of the inaugural Trans-Tasman Masters Indoor Cricket series.

The indoor cricket series got underway on Wednesday, October 18 with over-35, 40, 45 and 50 teams each competing in five games.

During the last five years, New Zealand teams have played at the Australian Masters championship with this week's tournament in Mount Maunganui the first standalone competition between the two countries.

This afternoon there is just one game for each division left for over-35, 40, 45 and 50 teams.

Meanwhile a more gentile and social aspect of the great and noble game of cricket starts up for another season in the Western Bay of Plenty today.

It's B grade cricket, which because of players' varied ages and abilities, is a more leisurely game.

The Punjab Warriors will play under the banner of Otumoetai Cadets Cricket Club with Greerton returning from the cricket wilderness.

This season, the Mount Maunganui Club, which has won many B grade titles, will field two teams – the Greens and the Golds. They'll play each at Blake Park. Grasshoppers will play Punjab Warriors at Mitchell Park, Wanderers will play Greerton at Gordon Spratt Reserve and Albion will play the Tauranga Boys College third eleven at Fergusson park.

Meanwhile the reserve grade enters week two.

On opening day Whakatane United all-rounder Pip Thickpenny belted the first ton of the Western Bay of Plenty cricket season – an unbeaten 11 against Te Puke. In the same match Te Puke batsmen Gareth Wallace scored 84 and Umesh Ranaraja 74.

Greerton's Kyle Montgomerie grabbed a six wicket bag against Katikati, and Aquinas College youngster Thomas Piddington got four wickets against R&A Sangha.

Two of last week's unbeaten reserve grade sides, Mount Maunganui and Cadets, will play on the artificial wicket at Fergusson Park. The two team's rivalry dates back forty years.

Early form suggests Greerton will be too strong for Te Puke at Te Puke, Katikati and Greerton Sikh XI meet at Moore Park in Katikati, Albion play Whakatane United in Papamoa, and there's a college derby between Tauranga Boys second XI and Aquinas College at Aquinas. R&A Sangha has the bye.

This afternoon's Trans-Tasman Masters Indoor Cricket games are:

1.30pm- NZ 45s vs AU 45s

3.15pm- NZ 40s vs AU 40s

3.15pm- NZ 50s vs AU 50s

5pm- NZ 35s vs AU 35s

For more information go to www.indoorcricket.org.nz