On Sunday the NCCA Twenty20 Cup shifts up a gear into the knock-out stages with Cumbria playing home games at Furness against Lincolnshire and Herefordshire.
There will be three T20 matches on the day as each county plays the other.
An early start is in order with the first match (Cumbria v Lincolnshire) scheduled to start at 10am. The losers play Herefordshire at 1pm. The winners of the first match play Herefordshire at 4.30pm
The announced teams are:
Cumbria: Michael Slack (Carlisle) capt., Greg Cameron (Keswick), Sam Dutton (Kendal), Freddie Fallows (Kendal), George Lavelle (Ormskirk & Lancashire), Ed Moulton (Chorley), Finlay Richardson (Kendal wk), Matthew Sempill (Cockermouth), Sam Sharp (Kendal), Harry Singh (Flixton and Lancashire), Nico Watt (Carlisle).
Herefordshire: Matt Pardoe (Halesowen) capt, Jujhar Johal (Stourbridge), Nick Hammond (Ombersley), Ollie Walker (Himley), Imaad Mahmood (Dorridge), Ben Chapman-Lilley (Barnt Green), Luke Powell (Ombersley), Luke Tulacz (Halesowen), James Rudge (Halesowen), Sam Keeling-Wright (Old Hill), Josh Holling (Ombersley), Adam Hines (Barnt Green).
Lincolnshire: Tom Keast (Cleethorpes) capt, Jordan Cook (Cleethorpes), Sam Evans (Leicester Ivanhoe & Leicestershire), Jaden Fell (Doncaster Twon), Lewis Graham (Caythorpe), Qundeel Haider (Grantham), Joshua Joy (Messingham), Nicholas Keast (Cuckney), Joshua Knapton (Cleethorpes), Matty Mills (Market Deeping), Fateh Singh (Cavaliers and Carrington & Nottinghamshire), Drew Sylvester (Appleby Frodingham), Ben Wright (Farsley).
Cumbria are without Steven Croft who returns to coaching duties at Lancashire providing that club with local knowledge of his boyhood club as they play at Blackpool.
Kendal pro Evan Williams is also unavailable due to club commitments. George Lavelle one of Lancashire’s many wicket keepers should make his debut for Cumbria.
It means, however, that Cumbria can bring back left-arm spinner Matthew Siddall as one of three out-of-county players following his switch from Cockermouth to Fleetwood.
Lincolnshire are likely to give a debut to Fateh Singh (a left arm spinner having represented England u19 & Nottinghamshire in 2021 & 2022) whilst the experienced Sam Evans has played 34 first class games. In this year’s T20 Nick Keast and Jordan Cook (HS 73*) topped Lincolnshire’s batting, with Jordan Cook’s off breaks also topping their bowling (7 wickets, BB 5-16).
Herefordshire draw largely from the neighbouring Birmingham & District Premier Leagues. In this year’s T20 Ollie Walker was their top scorer in the group stages (HS 71), Adam Hines their top bowler (10 wickets, BB 4-13). Captain Matt Pardoe represented Worcestershire 50 times in the County Championship.
Both sides played last weekend in the 50 over Trophy, Herefordshire losing to Norfolk whilst Lincolnshire top Cumbria’s group after a huge win against Northumberland.
In the T20 Group stages Cumbria won their group with 8 points, Lincolnshire finished second with 7 points while Herefordshire only qualified as the team placed 3rd with the best record (having secured 8 points).
Yet Herefordshire actually won four games more than either Cumbria or Lincolnshire only losing out on winning their group on NRR.
Cumbria have not played Herefordshire in T20 before, but have won their last two encounters in the 50 over format including a last ball one wicket win last year at Brockhampton.
Cumbria have played Lincolnshire before at T20 winning two and losing two. Lincolnshire will be out to make amends for their 50 over loss last year at Keswick when they were all out for 65 the lowest One Day total against Cumbria.
Herefordshire and Lincolnshire have not previously faced each other in T20 matches.
The team with the best record on the day will progress to the final on the following Sunday (26th) at Chester Boughton Hall.
At Chester Boughton Hall four teams will compete in two semi-finals, before battling for the T20 Trophy in the late afternoon.
