WORCESTER Wolves captain Maarten Bouwknecht has his eyes firmly set on the first big prize of the BBL season.

The 2013-14 play-offs and BBL Trophy winners will look to claim their maiden BBL Cup in the final at Arena Birmingham against Bristol Flyers on Sunday (3.30pm).

A close contest is expected with Wolves sixth and Flyers seventh in the early Championship table.

Dutch guard Bouwknecht, 25, said: "Going to the BBL Cup final means a lot to us.

"We have fought hard for it and had a tough road to get there. We've beaten two of the top teams in the league (on the way).

"It would be a great confidence booster to win next to the fact it's the first prize of the year which I'm eager to get."

Team-mate Kofi Josephs, 28, is looking forward to playing in his home city in front of his family and friends.

He said: "I haven't played in Birmingham probably for the last 15 years so it's going to be a nice homecoming and hopefully we can win the cup."

Wolves finished second in the BBL Cup South Group ahead of Flyers in third to reach the knockouts although both sides won six and lost four.

Worcester beat hosts Flyers 96-94 in a thrilling overtime victory and then prospered 74-70 at the University of Worcester Arena to complete the double over their M5 rivals.

Wolves then defeated Newcastle Eagles 90-86 and saw off Leicester Riders in the two-legged semi-final with a stunning 83-71 away triumph.

Flyers took care of Sheffield Sharks and London City Royals in the latter stages.

Worcester will look to go one better after losing the 2017-18 cup final 99-88 to Cheshire Phoenix in Birmingham.

Wolves head coach Matt Newby said: "We have been preparing as best we can and taking our time to review what is a very talented and well coached Flyers team.

"We have been doing as much homework as we can while refining what we do on the court both defensively and offensively.

"We're looking forward to the challenge."

On his players' outlook for the final, Newby continued: "Different guys will respond to it in different ways.

"Some will keep it within themselves and some are showing some excitement now.

"The true reality is we are very focused and just want to do the best job we can on the day.

"It's one of the biggest competitions in the domestic season.

"It's been a long journey for me as a coach. I've been to a few finals in my time but in different leagues — the national league and the BUCS Championship.

"It's the pinnacle of the game in this country. Myself and Andreas Kapoulas (Flyers head coach) will be very excited about it because we've both been on some quite lengthy coaching journeys."

A record attendance of more than 9,000 people is expected at the 9,300-capacity Arena Birmingham with the previous highest being 8,800 in 2018.

On the Wolves support, Newby added: "We're really thankful. The ticket sales have been fantastic so we'll know we'll have a high level of support there.

"A big thank you from me and the players for the continued support through the season.

"It started well and continues to grow. I know there's people travelling some big distances to support the Wolves this weekend."

Durham Palatinates face Sevenoaks Suns in the opening Women’s Cup final on Sunday at noon.

Meanwhile, London club Royals, the 2018-19 BBL Trophy winners, have withdrawn from the BBL due to "financial pressures".