Eddie proves a timely bet

Eddie Stanford will take centre stage for Bexley in club cricket's showpiece final of the year at The Oval next month - if he can get the time off work.

The 10th final of the £12,000 Evening Standard Challenge Trophy on 9 September will be between Kent and Essex, with Bexley facing Wanstead from across the estuary.

Wanstead, beaten semi-finalists three times in five years in the 1990s, finally booked their place at The Oval with a smooth sevenwicket win over Lambeth Enterprise.

Bexley, 1996 runners-up, had a bumpier ride and only a defiant 38 not out from Stanford dug out a win against Saffron Walden in the gloom with two wickets and three balls to go.

The 30-year-old former Kent left-arm spinner started a new job earlier this summer as a cricket analyst with Cantor Sports, a spread betting company which also employs ex-County colleagues Graham Cowdrey and Jon Longley. The snag is this involves plenty of weekend work, which has seriously restricted Stanford's appearances.

He said: "These sort of days don't come too often, so you've got to make the most of them. I had five years with Kent and enjoyed the experience, even though I only made three championship appearances."