Two cricket teams will fight out the 2020 McNaughton Trophy final at the Bay Oval on Thursday night.

Mount Maunganui and R&A Sangha are well aware of the demands required to lift the Baywide reserve grade trophy aloft in victory.

Both teams contested three 2020 McNaughton preliminary matches on the journey to the title decider. In round one, R&A Sangha had a real battle with Greerton as they removed them for 248, then bowled their opponents out 10 runs short of their target.

Mount Maunganui also had to fight hard, to get home against Tauranga Boys College, with just two wickets to spare.

R&A Sangha caused the upset of the current competition in the quarter-finals, when they eliminated defending titleholders Papamoa in another hard fought encounter. Mount Maunganui progressed to the semi-finals with an eight run victory over arch-rivals Cadets.

Both finalists flexed their muscles in semi-final action. The Mount second eleven, bowled Western Bay high flyers in the Greerton Kings out for 109, before strolling to a comfortable five wicket win. An Indian team derby, resulted in the Sangha XI posting 185 for the loss of nine wickets before removing Sikh Sports for 141, to book a berth in the final.

Bay of Plenty and Western Bay Cricket, are thankful the Bay Oval Trust has made the world-class international ground available, to complete the Baywide reserve grade finale under lights, says a BOP Cricket spokesperson.

'Few grade cricket players in the country, get the opportunity given to the McNaughton finalists, to bat, bowl and field on an international cricket ground.”

The McNaughton Trophy, was presented by Te Puke's McNaughton family for reserve grade competition in the Western Bay of Plenty region - with the first winner engraved on the reserve grade prize, being Te Puke High School in the 1986/87 season. Around the start of the new millennium, the competition was extended to reserve grade sides from throughout the Bay of Plenty.

Mount Maunganui, have had their name engraved on the trophy on nine occasions, with the Sangha XI having won back to back McNaughton titles in 2016 and 2017.

The McNaughton Trophy final starts at 4pm at the Bay Oval on March 19.