Barnt Green’s hunt for a fourth Graham Williamson Trophy title in succession was ended by a Worcestershire Academy side that dismissed the holders for 140 with two balls remaining from their full allocation of 40 overs. Sent into bat by the Academy who included players from clubs throughout the League, Barnt Green made a brisk start through Ed Pollock who hit 20 from 16 balls. His was the second wicket to fall, after Ben Chapman-Lilley had been dismissed by Ben Parker with the score on 18. Parker, who plays his club cricket for Kidderminster, and took five wickets for 16 in the first innings and seven wickets in the match for Leeds/Bradford University against Nottinghamshire earlier in the week, also took the wicket of Pollock in a terrific opening spell and snapped up another, later in the innings, to finish with 3 for 29. The best figures, however, were recorded by Kenilworth Wardens’ all-rounder Reeve Evitts who finished with 4 for 30. Cameron Jones top scored with 24 but Barnt Green’s total of 140, always, looked vulnerable, even though the Academy lost their first three wickets for 15. At that point, Henry Cullen, another player from Wardens and Barnards Green’s Oliver Halion came together to add 78 for the fourth wicket before Halion was dismissed for 35. Cullen (61) was next to go at 133 and Evitts (21) fell at 137 but the Academy side had enough in hand to win the match by six wickets in the 35th over. The Academy will travel to last year’s beaten finalists Ombersley in the first semi-final after the Worcestershire side defeated Kenilworth Wardens by 20 runs. George Panayi (67) and Gareth Andrew (56) struck half-centuries in an Ombersley total of 199 for six in 40 overs. In reply, Wardens were all out for 179 in the 38th over, Ali Zaryab Asif top scoring with 43. Oliver Dandy (34), Andrew Leering (32) and Ben Fitzgerald (32) threatened to steer Wardens to victory, but the experience of Panayi (3 for 40) and the enthusiasm of Ben Hallam (4 for 32) proved to be the decisive factor for Ombersley.

The second semi-final will be between Smethwick and Kidderminster who defeated the Warwickshire club duo of Berkswell and Knowle & Dorridge respectively. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Berkswell reached 230 for seven from 40 overs, the highest contributions coming from Awais Mohammed (41 not out) and Tom Mousley (39). All nine batters who came to the crease reached double figures, but none were able to carry on to play an innings that would have taken the score beyond the reach of Smethwick. Solid contributions from Bilal Shafayat (37), Kadeer Ali (29) and Rajpal Beniwal (28) kept the visitors in the hunt but it was an unbroken ninth wicket stand of 58 between Rawait Khan (64 not out) and Asad Khan (25 not out) that sealed the game off the last ball of the 39th over. Nick James, the Berkswell captain, took 4 for 23, but his efforts were in vain as Smethwick qualified for a home semi-final against Kidderminster, who lost the toss and fielded against K&D. Hamza Sheikh continued his good form from the previous day and struck 126 from 111 balls as K&D reached 268 for five in 40 overs. Amir Khan (66) combined with Shaikh to add 160 for the second wicket to boost their side to what seemed to be a competitive total. This wasn’t the way it played out, as a second wicket partnership of 175 between Sinel Gunarathne (106 not out) and Callum Bennett (96) followed by an unbroken partnership of 76 for the third wicket between Gunarathne and Neil Pinner (39 not out) eased the home side to an eight wicket success off the final ball of the 35th over.