Belhus CC from Essex, Exeter University CC from Devon, Welsh side Haverfordwest CC and Yorkshire’s Whitley Hall CC have booked their places in next month’s ECB Indoor National Club Championship decider.
All four regional winners will be hunting a maiden title when they battle it out at the MCC Cricket Academy at Lord’s on Sunday 13 March.
The four sides secured their tickets to the National Finals following a day of action at Canterbury, Derby, Edgbaston and Taunton on Sunday.
Belhus CC opened their account with a single-wicket win over Havant CC from Hampshire in their London and East Regional semi-final, reaching their target off the final ball.
They advanced to the final to meet local side Canterbury Christ Church University CC, who comfortably dispatched Surrey’s AZ Woking CC in the first semi-final of the day.
Belhus dismissed the university side for 87 before going on to chase down their score with three wickets to spare.
Devon delight
Exeter University CC went one better than their academic rivals in Canterbury as they secured their passage to Lord’s thanks to two wins in the South and West Regionals at Somerset CCC in Taunton.
They first eased past Isle of Wight champions Newport CC with a comfortable 45-run win before edging a close final against Burbage & Easton Royal CC from Wiltshire.
Set 88 to win, Burbage & Easton Royal were in control at 77 for two with three overs remaining but two run outs in the 10th over followed by two wickets in two balls in the penultimate over saw the Wiltshire side slip to 82 all out to see Exeter University home by five runs.
Earlier in the day Burbage & Easton Royal were on the right side of another tight result as they beat Cornwall’s St Austell by one wicket off the final ball.
Big scores
Edgbaston played host to the Midlands Regional Final and it was Welsh side Haverfordwest CC that made two big scores to help them through to Lord’s.
They dominated Cutnall Green CC of Worcestershire to win their semi-final by 86 runs before overcoming Elstow CC from Bedfordshire in the final.
Haverfordwest scored an imposing 155 but Elstow batted positively and were 74 for one halfway through their innings before losing three wickets in quick succession to eventually fall 18 runs short.
Whitley Hall CC claimed the fourth Lord’s spot courtesy of their Northern Regional Final win at Derbyshire CCC. The Yorkshire side beat Durham side South Shields CC in the semi-final, dismissing their opposition for 80 before reaching their target without losing a wicket.
They faced Grasshoppers CC from Shropshire in the regional decider, who themselves beat 2015 National finalists Cherry Willingham CC from Lincolnshire in their semi-final.
Grasshoppers set a competitive 148 to win and though they left it late, Whitley Hall chased down the target with two balls to spare.
National Finals schedule
11:00 – Semi-final 1 (Haverfordwest v Belhus)
12:45 – Semi-final 2 (Whitley Hall v Exeter University)
14:45 – Final
Entry to watch the National Finals is free so please go along and support your team.
Source: ECB