GRAPPENHALL Cricket Club will be hoping to make a special day all the more memorable on Sunday.
They are hosting the Cheshire County Cricket League T20 finals day for the first time, so it would be particularly fitting if Grappers could lift the silverware on home grass.
The Broad Lane outfit have reached the semi-finals for only the third time in the competition’s near 20-year history.
Standing in their way of a place in the deciding showdown are Oxton, with the match starting at 10am.
The second semi-final between Lindow and Nantwich or Widnes, who play their quarter-final tie tonight, will commence at 1pm and then the final will follow at 4.30pm.
With Grappers’ last semi-final appearance being in 2015, they will be working hard to make sure their efforts so far don’t count for nothing.
They have already knocked out a side who have won the competition twice in the past three years – Alderley Edge in the last 16 – and then sealed their spot in the final four with a thrilling quarter-final win at home to Bowdon last Thursday.
“It was an excellent performance against Alderley which saw us defend 150, with Kieran Lawton taking three crucial wickets late on,” said skipper Ben Bodha.
“Against Bowdon it was a cagey match, with them making 148. We looked out of the chase until Will Fell smacked 41.”
Bodha was, 18 not out, alongside Fell when victory was sealed.
“It went right down to the wire and we snuck home off the last ball of the match,” he said.
Here, we pick out some of the likely key figures in Grappers’ trophy chase on Sunday:
Player to watch
Will Fell - The right-handed maestro has been in superb form in the knockout rounds of the T20, hitting lots of boundaries with his famed sweep shot.
Big hitter
Tom 'Moxy' MacRury - New Zealand overseas star who has already scored the fastest century in Grappenhall history from 61 balls earlier in the season, and he will look to light up Broad Lane on finals day with his big sixes.
Moxy has opened the bowling in every round so far and will look to take early wickets in the powerplay.
Death bowler
Tom Bramhall - The 17-year-old has impressed since coming into the side, and will look to swing the new ball before showing off his array of skills at the death.
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