George Rhodes and Phil Harris combined to ensure Barnards Green overcame Halesowen and booked a place in this year’s Graham Williamson T20 Challenge Cup  finals day at Stourbridge CC on Sunday July 13^th.

After losing both openers for ducks Halesowen never really recovered against a home attack in which Rhodes (2-14 from four overs) and Ben Clarke (1-19) stood out.

Ciaran Baker-Smith who made 37 from 28 balls offered some late defiance which boosted the visitors to 138-7.

Baker-Smith was also Halesowen’s star turn with the ball, grabbing 2-12 from four immaculate mid-innings overs. However, by then Harris had almost clinched the match for Barnards Green by lashing 74 of the first 94 runs scored from just 42 balls with eight boundaries and five sixes.

As a result the Malvern-based hosts eventually secured a six-wicket success with an over remaining.

Barnards Green face Old Hill in the second semi-final which is scheduled to start at 1.30pm after Bilal Hassan’s team overcame Division One Shrewsbury by 20 runs in their last eight clash at London Road.

Old Hill’s success was built on an opening stand of 83 between Suraj Chauhan (41) and Waqas Ahmed (53). Dylan Keeling’s quickfire unbeaten 25 made from just 12 balls then boosted the Haden Hill outfit to 171-4 with skipper Lewis Evans the pick of the home attack.

Seb Scott got Shrewsbury away to a fast start by making a 25-ball 47 to which Dustin Melton added 26. However, Saad Naseem (1-16), Harry Davenport and Amar Nagra all bowled tidy spells in the second half of the home innings to clinch Old Hill’s finals day spot.

Three-peat seeking Harborne remain the team to beat after extending their unbeaten run in the competition to 12 matches through a 19-run quarter-final win at Barnt Green.

A dazzling second-wicket stand of 160 between Ben Shepperson and Arjun Nahal paved the way for Tom Arnold’s team to reach their fourth consecutive finals day.

Shepperson’s 70 came from 46 balls with three sixes and seven fours but it was teenager Nahal’s 58-ball 80 containing eight boundaries plus four shots that cleared the rope that really caught the eye.

Either side of this fine effort seamers Roshan Venkataraman and Adam Hines shared eight wickets at a combined personal cost of just 49 runs to ensure Barnt Green’s chase was kept to the manageable proportions of 178.

Worcestershire’s Henry Cullen (66 from 47 balls) and Ben Chapman-Lilley who finished with an unbeaten 50-ball 72 containing four sixes, then responded with 109 for the home side’s second wicket.

However, Barnt Green were 20 runs behind Harborne at the 15-over point and this proved too big a gap to bridge in the closing stages against a disciplined visiting attack who kept extras to a minimum and closed the response out at 166-4.

Harborne’s opponents in the first semi-final at 10.30am will be Knowle & Dorridge who claimed a hard-fought 41-run quarter-final home win over league champions Smethwick on the back of a fine effort from their spinners.

After K&D made 157 the match was on a knife-edge when Smethwick’s response reached 78-2 in the 12^th over.

However, the pressure built by an eight-over spell during which slow left-armer Nick James (3-18) and off-spinner Hamza Shaikh (2-15) bowled in tandem was enough to clinch the tie for the hosts.

The late injury withdrawal of Deepak Khatri left Smethwick’s batting hopes in the hands of Viken Kedariya and Bilal Shafayat and when neither was able to go beyond 30 K&D eased to victory.

Skipper Ollie Currill earlier made a fine 36-ball 55 which enabled his team to recover from 30-4 to a challenging 157. Gurbaj Singh (3-26) was the pick of the Smethwick attack.

Graham Williamson T20 Challenge Cup Finals Day 2025

At Stourbridge CC – Sunday July 13^th

10.30am Harborne v Knowle & Dorridge

1.30pm (fluid) Barnards Green v Old Hill

4.30pm (fluid) Final

This year’s winner will represent the BDPCL in the area final of the Vitality National Club T20 competition on Sunday August 3^rd (reserve day August 10^th) and this year (based on rotation) will have the added incentive of hosting this day.