Devine intervention for Brentham

Brentham have booked a place in the semi-finals of club cricket's premier knockout tournament after calling on some Devine intervention,

The west Londoners survived a nailbiting end to their quarter-final against Bexley in the £12,000 Evening Standard Challenge Trophy after the scores had finished level. Brentham squeezed through by losing fewer wickets, 175 for eight against Bexley's 175 all out.

Bexley, runners up at The Oval in 1996 and 2001, were clear favourites as Brentham's burly mediumpacer Richard Devine prepared to bowl the 50th and final over with lastwicket pair Stuart Hume and Andy Tutt needing just three runs for victory.

Hume struck the first ball for two but after three dot balls his partner was run out trying to steal a single off the fifth ball.

Brentham captain Neil Sargeant said: "It was an amazing finish. To pull out a victory like that shows the belief in this side."

Brentham play Wycombe in the first semi-final.

Hot-favourites Teddington, Challenge Trophy winners in 1992, '96 and '98, completed a memorable weekend at Bushey Park with a five-wicket victory over Wimbledon in their delayed quarter-final. Tom Harrison played a captain's innings of 72 as they cruised past Wimbledon's total of 129.

Twenty-four hours earlier Teddington had clinched their fifth Middlesex League title. They are at home again in the Trophy semi-finals against the winners of the much-delayed quarter-final between Ealing and Stanmore which is scheduled for next Sunday.