St Cross Symondians seconds will play Bournemouth in the Southern Premier League Cup Grand Final at the Green Jackets Ground, Winchester, on Saturday, 12.30.
They clinched their cup final place with a comfortable 61-run win over Rowledge, which clinched top spot in the East Premier/1 group of the 40-over competition introduced in mid-summer when the government gave the go-ahead for recreational cricket to resume.
Bournemouth topped the West group, finishing first with a five-wicket win at Bashley (Rydal).
When the league cup was hurriedly set up in July, St Cross Symondians were allocated slots for their two sides in the East and West regions of the league cup to reflect the status of their teams in the ECB Premier Division and the Division 1 feeder league.
St Cross Symondians IIs were due to have played in the second tier of SPL cricket this summer following last season's promotion from SPL2, but the Winchester club has come under fire from rivals for a 'squad rotation' system which, whilst not breaking any competition rules, others believe has not been in keeping with the Spirit of the Game.
Players have swapped teams, with Hampshire's Harry Came among those to have turned out for both the East and West league cup sides, while 'home grown' county team-mate Felix Organ was controversially drafted into the second team the night before a recent key East win over Alton.
Premier Division regulars Simon Beetham and Ed Ellis have also turned out for both St Cross sides.
Needing a victory to clinch their cup final place, St Cross II made steady progress as they built a 213-6 winning total against Rowledge - Jason Laney (40), Steven Hirst (18) and former Middlesex cricketer Chris Whelan (31) setting the platform for Harry Foyle (pictured above) to hit 71 and Matt Howarth an unbeaten 27.
Rowledge, fielding eight players under-21 years of age, made 152-9 (David Lloyd 33), with David Orchard taking 4-18.
They clinched their cup final place with a comfortable 61-run win over Rowledge, which clinched top spot in the East Premier/1 group of the 40-over competition introduced in mid-summer when the government gave the go-ahead for recreational cricket to resume.
Bournemouth topped the West group, finishing first with a five-wicket win at Bashley (Rydal).
When the league cup was hurriedly set up in July, St Cross Symondians were allocated slots for their two sides in the East and West regions of the league cup to reflect the status of their teams in the ECB Premier Division and the Division 1 feeder league.
St Cross Symondians IIs were due to have played in the second tier of SPL cricket this summer following last season's promotion from SPL2, but the Winchester club has come under fire from rivals for a 'squad rotation' system which, whilst not breaking any competition rules, others believe has not been in keeping with the Spirit of the Game.
Players have swapped teams, with Hampshire's Harry Came among those to have turned out for both the East and West league cup sides, while 'home grown' county team-mate Felix Organ was controversially drafted into the second team the night before a recent key East win over Alton.
Premier Division regulars Simon Beetham and Ed Ellis have also turned out for both St Cross sides.
Needing a victory to clinch their cup final place, St Cross II made steady progress as they built a 213-6 winning total against Rowledge - Jason Laney (40), Steven Hirst (18) and former Middlesex cricketer Chris Whelan (31) setting the platform for Harry Foyle (pictured above) to hit 71 and Matt Howarth an unbeaten 27.
Rowledge, fielding eight players under-21 years of age, made 152-9 (David Lloyd 33), with David Orchard taking 4-18.
Matt Stokes (above) was the star of the show as Symondians’ West side won by six wickets, chasing down New Milton’s modest 146-8 at Fernhill.
The Guernsey raised all-rounder, who finished with a tidy 3-18 return, struck two early blows before Lee Beck (57) and Joe Hall (31) lifted the Green & Golds from 16-2 to 106-3.
Stokes returned to remove Beck before Charlie Preston (3-22) struck three more blows to leave the hosts defending 146.
St Cross didn’t exactly make easy work of chasing down the target and were 38-3 with the in-form Harry Trussler going for a duck and Came trapped leg before for nine.
Enter Matt Stokes to strike an 11-boundary 73 not out and share a key 71-run partnership with Jack Bransgrove (27) which took St Cross to within touching distance of victory.
St Cross finished second in the log behind Bournemouth, while New Milton captain George Watts (2-33) finished the league cup campaign with 20 wickets.
The Guernsey raised all-rounder, who finished with a tidy 3-18 return, struck two early blows before Lee Beck (57) and Joe Hall (31) lifted the Green & Golds from 16-2 to 106-3.
Stokes returned to remove Beck before Charlie Preston (3-22) struck three more blows to leave the hosts defending 146.
St Cross didn’t exactly make easy work of chasing down the target and were 38-3 with the in-form Harry Trussler going for a duck and Came trapped leg before for nine.
Enter Matt Stokes to strike an 11-boundary 73 not out and share a key 71-run partnership with Jack Bransgrove (27) which took St Cross to within touching distance of victory.
St Cross finished second in the log behind Bournemouth, while New Milton captain George Watts (2-33) finished the league cup campaign with 20 wickets.