The teams won their semi-final encounters late last week to progress to the decider and now both the Comets and Jets are on the verge of a little piece of competition history.

Two-time champions East Cessnock (2008, 2012) would go beyond fellow multiple winners Kurri Kurri (2007, 2013) and Swansea (2009, 2010) with victory this week.

Raymond Terrace could become the first outfit to taste success in their maiden season since the competition’s inception almost a decade ago in 2005.

Individually, there are also bragging rights up for grabs.

Four players will attempt to win their third Invitational Big Bowls Challenge title – East Cessnock skipper Michael Cronin, opposite number Matthew Baus, and his Raymond Terrace teammates Michael Abel and Ian Lean.

Cronin has always been at the Comets. Baus and Abel have won twice previously with Swansea.

Lean has one crown each as a marquee player at Swansea and Valentine (2011), and victory in the upcoming fixture would give him silverware at three clubs.

In Thursday night’s semi-final, Lean was outplayed for the Jets by Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Aron Sherriff with the Ettalong Eagles player winning the singles in straight sets (19-6, 13-4).

But it was a different story on the other rinks. Raymond Terrace comprehensively accounted for the hosts in both the pairs and triples.

Abel and Baus won the pairs 9-2, 10-3 while Tim Twining, Jamie Minter and Jason Stokes took out the triples 8-5, 12-6.

“The singles were over pretty early, but we were pretty confident during that second set that we could get the job done,” Baus said.

“It was great to get through to the final like that, especially in our first year.”

Across at Soldiers Point it on Friday night it was all one-way traffic for East Cessnock over the Dolphins.

The pairs combination of Brodie Turner and Cronin picked up the rink with a 9-3 second set result after a 6-all draw in the first. Marty Ball followed suit in the singles with a 15-8, 11-7 scorecard.

With a 2-0 advantage the triples rink, including Daniel Hooker, Danny Mathieson and Jon Dimopolos, was conceded, with East Cessnock already 4-1 up in the third and deciding tie-break set.

“It was definitely a good win away from home,” Cronin said.

“It was an excellent performance.”