In tandem with the opening day of the Baywide Premier cricket season - the WBOPCA Reserve Grade competition also bowls into action on Saturday afternoon.

Last season Mount Maunganui and Katikati fought out the big prizes on offer in the Western Bay Reserve Grade ranks.

In March, the Mount seconds and Katikati contested the final of the WBOPCA Reserve Grade championship, in what turned out to be a high scoring encounter.

Batting first Katikati posted 242 all out, led by a sparkling 79 from Matt Harrison with JS Dhillion also making a solid contribution with 61 runs. Mount skipper Nick Smith grabbed four wickets for his side.

In a game which went down to the wire, the Mount got home with just two wickets to spare with Michael Douglas and Hayden Bynes both hitting half centuries, Katikati youngster Brody Gilroy grabbing three wickets.

Twenty four hours later, the two local Reserve Grade contenders backed up in the final of the Bay of Plenty Cricket McNaughton Trophy. Mount Maunganui took first use of the batting strip, dismissed for 172, with their top score coming from skipper Nick Smith with 31 runs. Ben Warren and Gene Darvill both bowled with real economy to take two wickets apiece.

For the second time in twenty four hours, Matt Harrison took control with the bat smashing an unbeaten 88 runs with Gene Darvill also in good touch finishing with 46 runs, as Katikati won the symbol of Baywide Reserve Grade cricket superiority, with four wickets in hand.

This season, Mount Maunganui will field just one side in the Reserve Grade title race and on Saturday, will replay last season's Western Bay title decider against Katikati.

The encounter on the artificial surface at the Uretara Domain will give the winner early season bragging rights along with valuable first round competition points.

The Sangha Cricket Club will field two teams this season. The Sangha (Raavi) side will square off against Greerton at the neutral venue of Gordon Spratt Reserve in Papamoa while the Sangha (Anna) team will play Tauranga Boys College at Nicholson Field.

There will be plenty of interest in the game at Centennial Park in Te Puke between the home side and Otumoetai Cadets. There is a long time rivalry between the two clubs dating back several decades and the encounter is likely to be a hard fought affair.

WBOPCA Reserve Grade Draw 5 October 2013

Katikati v Mount Maunganui, Uretara Domain; Te Puke v Cadets, Centennial Park; Sangha (Raavi) CC v Greerton, Gordon Spratt Reserve; Tauranga Boys College v Sangha (Anna) CC, Nicholson Field.