WIMBORNE CC are looking to continue their underdog story and book a place in a national final at Lord’s tomorrow.

The club’s under-15s will head to Wokingham CC, to take on Surrey-based Banstead in the last four of the ECB Club T20 tournament.

It is the latest example of the fine work among the youth section at Wimborne, with a number of players in the side already competing for the club in the senior section in the Dorset Cricket League.

Discussing the team’s run to the semi-finals, under-15s boss Stuart Ingram told the Daily Echo: “Two years ago they did exactly the same, they got through to the last four and sadly lost that semi-final in the last over to the eventual winners. So it’s a big challenge.

“They’re a good group of kids. The core of the side played in the under-9s cup final in 2017. A number of them are playing for the firsts or seconds at the club, which is brilliant.

“They’ve played Ferndown, Poole Town, Dorchester, Winton and Ventnor. Then they played Taunton St Andrews, which is a big club in Somerset and then the last game was against Swindon, which they won by eight wickets with four overs to spare.

“They’ve played well, but I am very realistic about the next game. Banstead have got some very, very good players, so we will see.”

PE teacher Ingram, who has coached the group since they were under-8s, added: “This is seven years in the making. This has been a lot of work from Alan Reynolds, who is the chairman of the youth committee.

“He picked it up seven years ago and we got some good systems in place and the youth system has gone from 30 or 40 children to over 150 now. There is a lot of good people involved at Wimborne.

“But the other thing I’d say about the team is just culturally they’re a great group of kids. They’re highly successful, but they’re all in it together.”

Putting into context the challenge Wimborne face from Banstead on Monday, Ingram explained: “They’re littered with lads from the Surrey under-15s set-up. Being honest, we’re going to have to play well and we’ll see what happens.

“These Surrey sides, the side we played two years ago, they had over 100 players at under-13. We had 10. We are a little Dorset side.

“Taunton St Andrews, Swindon, these are massive clubs. The fact we’ve even competed with them, I think is amazing really.

“Monday will be a big day for the boys and for the club and we’ll see how we get on.”

The winners of Banstead and Wimborne will face either Edinburgh-based Carlton, or Leamington in the final.