Cricket: Netherfield, Garstang, Fleetwood and Leyland win through to Readers T20 Finals Day

Netherfield, Garstang, Fleetwood and Leyland will battle it out to be crowned kings of the shortest format of the game on July 7.

Garstang have been handed the privilege of hosting the event and they will take on Leyland in the first semi-final at 11am.

The second last four clash between Netherfield and Fleetwood will start at 2pm, with the final scheduled for a 5pm start.

Leyland’s participation in the event was secured in a slightly unsatisfactorily way after their ‘winner-takes-all’ encounter against Longridge at Chipping Road was abandoned due to weather.

The hosts had earlier thrown away a golden opportunity when they were beaten by Chorley earlier in the day.

The visitors had batted first and posted 131-9, with Wian van Zyl notching 30. Daniel Wilson took 3-24.

In reply, Stuart Naden’s 3-21 helped restrict Longridge to 113-9.

That left a final-game decider between the hosts and Leyland to see who went forward to finals day. Unfortunately, the rain intervened and it was Leyland’s superior net run rate over the group stages which saw them qualify.

Garstang will hope to make home advantage count on finals day.

They were indebted to opening batsman Michael Walling for leading them to the victory they needed at Kendal.

He struck 81 of their total of 123-9, striking five boundaries and four sixes. He dominated the innings to such an extent that no other batsman reached double figures.

Danny Gilbert (3-42)and Parwez Khan (3-24) performed key jobs with the ball as Kendal fell five runs short of victory.

Netherfield will perhaps go into finals day as the favourites after achieving a 100% record in the group stages, but current league leaders Fleetwood will fancy their chances.

Meanwhile, the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield player of the month for April and May is Charlie Swarbrick of Lancaster.

Swarbrick, who was the player of the season in 2018, started the campaign in fine form scoring 463 runs in six games during the month.

The team of the month award for the same period was shared between Great Eccleston second XI and Torrisholme second XI who both won all their games, securing a total of 64 points.