Hatherley Hurricanes and Dumbleton Dynamite will look to put on a show befitting the occasion when they face-off in the final of the inaugural Cheltenham Premier T20 tomorrow evening.

The Victoria Ground, home of Cheltenham Cricket Club, is the venue for the much-anticipated showdown, with organisers hoping a crowd of some 200 will be in attendance.

The new competition, the brainchild of businessman and Cheltenham cricketer Sathya Prakash Timmaraju, has been very well received with six clubs initially taking part.

Hatherley and Dumbleton booked their places in the final with semi-final wins last week over Tewkesbury Royals and Cheltenham Spartans respectively, and both are desperate to end the competition on a high.

All-rounder Tom Hage smashed an unbeaten 64 from just 30 balls as Hatherley thumped Tewkesbury by eight wickets, with the 27-year-old saying with some understatement: “It went pretty well!”

He was a lot more effusive about the competition itself, though, saying: “It’s been brilliant. Fair play to Prakash, it’s all been very well organised. The coloured clothing has been top quality and the music, the light up bails and the pink ball have made it great to watch.

“It’s great fun to play in too. Making each team have a squad of 18 was a great idea, it makes the standard of cricket higher. The standard has been very high.”

Dumbleton skipper Myles Holland, who made an undefeated 61 from 46 balls in their six-wicket win over Cheltenham, is also a big supporter of the competition, a competition which also featured Charlton Super Kings and the University of Gloucestershire Giants in the group stages.

“Everyone’s loved it,” he said. “It’s something very different and something that was missing, Prakash has put a lot of work into it. We’re really looking forward to the final and playing in front of a big crowd.”

The two teams met in the group stage in mid-June with Hatherley easing to a 51-run win. Hatherley won all of their group games while Dumbleton won three, but Hage, who bowls left-arm pace and spent a season at Dumbleton several years ago, is not reading too much into that.

“They are very, very talented, they’re a good squad,” he said.

Nevertheless, he is in a positive mood.

“Everyone wants to win it, it would mean a lot to the players and the club,” he continued. “A lot of effort has gone into it and Tom Coote has been absolutely brilliant, he’s acted like our team manager.

“Joel Price has done a great job as captain too. He’s stepped up to the plate, it’s not easy as I know.”

Hage captains Hatherley’s Saturday team who are going well in Premier 2 Glos/Wilts of the West of England Premier League and he added: “I think the midweek cricket has had a beneficial impact on our Saturday cricket.

“We’re doing well, the club have come a long way in the last few years.”

Dumbleton play their Saturday league cricket in the Gloucestershire Division of the WEPL, a level below but Hatherley, but Holland, like Hage, is in upbeat mood ahead of tomorrow evening’s game.

Holland was part of the Dumbleton team that won the National Village Knockout at Lord’s last September, an occasion that he hopes will stand his team in good stead against Hatherley.

“That was a great experience,” he said. “That was a big game in front of a big crowd. All the boys want to play in games like that, the final against Hatherley is a big game.

“We’ve got a strong squad and we had a really great win against Cheltenham. They are a strong side and we played very well. We want to top it off against Hatherley.”

The Varistha Cheltenham Premier T20 final starts at 6pm.