Pudsey Congs have a blast as they reach national finals

JCT600 Bradford League Twenty20 champions Congs defeated hosts Chester-le-Street by 97 runs in the regional final, gaining revenge for a defeat by them at the same stage two years ago.

Congs – the first Bradford League club to get to the last four – will be alongside fellow regional winners Ealing, Chester Boughton Hall and Exmouth in Cardiff.

However, Bairstow, whose 53 not out came from only 16 balls and included six sixes and three fours (fives sixes and a four off that last over), was not the only batting hero for the Britannia Ground side.

Opener Callum Geldart made 111 off 62 balls, hammering four sixes and 15 fours to back up the 114 he scored in last year's Bradford League Twenty20 final against Woodlands at Bradford & Bingley, and skipper Gareth Phillips hit three sixes and seven fours in 55 from just 23 balls.

Congs reached a daunting 250-5 and were soon on the front foot with the ball as James Pearson dismissed Andrew Smith.

Mark Turner (64) and Simon Birtwhistle (53) tried to take pick up the tempo of Chester-le-Street's innings, but the Congs bowlers were in no mood to allow their team's excellent batting performance go to waste.

It was that man Geldart, with his gentle off-spin, who removed Turner and Birtwhistle in quick succession as Congs tightened their grip.

He finished with 3-22 but those figures were bettered by Pearson (3-18) as Congs restricted their opponents to 153-7.

Results from other regional finals: Bury St Edmunds 141-5 (S Park 51, J Sturgeon 31no, D Lane 2-14, O Wilson 2-23), Ealing 145-6 off 19.5 overs (M Comber 2-17, M Nunn 2-24, Park 2-25); Ormskirk 132-8 (M Jones 36, T Marsland 3-21), Chester Boughton Hall 135-1 off 13.5 overs (G Goodwin 65, J Law 54no); Wimbledon 157-6 (G Grace 43, M Spreighel 41, G Chappell 3-23), Exmouth 158-7 off 20 overs (D Pyle 57, D Lye 47, T Anning 34no, D Hooey 4-26, J Johnston 2-44).