TWO local cricket teams will be looking for cup glory this Sunday when they appear in their respective knockout finals.

Bolton League Greenmount travel to Horwich to take on Tonge in a Hamer Cup showdown while Prestwich have home advantage in the Lancashire County League's Walkden Cup final.

For Greenmount it will be the fourth attempt to win the coveted trophy and they won't have a better chance of breaking their duck.

In 1984, their first season in the Bolton League, the village side reached the final and met Kearsley, also at Horwich, but victory was cruelly snatched out of their grasp by a last ball six-hit off stand in professional Murray Bennett.

They don't come much harder to take than that but the local lads were equally disappointed with a poor batting display in their second final at Bradshaw in 1990.

They scored only 142 when batting first against Tonge who went on to win by seven wickets.

Two years later, at Tonge's Castle Hill ground they found Egerton's total of 244 for 3 a bridge too far despite a gallant 113 from opener Jon Harvey, eventually falling 52 runs short of victory.

But that's all history now and with a batting line-up as any good as any amateur side in the county on their day hopes are high that champagne corks will be popping in the Log Cabin on Sunday evening.

In young professional Saeed Anwar the Brandlesholme Road club have one of the most promising young all-rounders in Pakistan cricket.

With three centuries already under his belt and over 60 wickets to boot, his performance with both bat and ball will be vital.

Overseas amateur Mick O'Rourke has been in devastating form with the bat and already has 940 runs to his credit.

And with quality performers such as Andy Williams, Jimmy Horrox, Mark Fallon and Mark Stewart in the side skipper Gary Chadwick - a veteran of that first final back in 1983 - will be quietly confident over overcoming a tough Tonge side who have won the Bolton League title for the last four seasons.

Meanwhile, Prestwich, are expecting a bumper crowd at their Heys ground when Glossop are the visitors to contest the final of the Walkden Cup.

The home side are attempting to win the famous trophy for the first time in almost seventy years, with their only success having been back in 1933.

A look at the league table suggests they are favourites, but dig a bit deeper and it can be seen they are anything but.

Glossop have won the championship for the past two seasons, and still have virtually the same side, and to get to the semi-final they defeated the two teams above Prestwich, having despatched Dukinfield by the healthy margin of 42 runs and Irlam by a very comfortable 56 runs in addition to overcoming Thornham by 34 runs.

Everywhere you look in their line-up, there are match winners with 'pro Damien Eyre having recently turned down a contract with Derbyshire.

Prestwich, however, will be desperate to put last season's disappointment of losing to Irlam in the final behind them.

They have their own match-winners with opening bats Craig Duxbury and Carl Hey having put on 167 in the semi-final against Woodhouses, whilst Andy Bradley took a hat-trick in the second round win over Cheetham Hill.

Colin Higginson and Duxbury have also been among the wickets on a regular basis and the middle order has been given more strength with the arrival of Paul Mercer from Cheetham Hill.

Both finals commence at the earlier time of 1pm.