FERNDOWN Wayfarers fell at the last hurdle of the ECB national indoor sixes championship at Lord’s, losing in the final to Broadstairs after their run chase was cut well short.

Kent-based Broadstairs won the competition in 1998 and were finalists in 2018, and proved too much for their Dorset opponents as they set a score of 126-4 which proved to be insurmountable for Ferndown, who ended their innings 77-6.

Wayfarers had advanced to the final via wickets in a tied match against Halesowen in the semi-final, Ferndown having made 137-2 as Halesowen went 137-5 following a late fightback.

Batting first in the semi, Wayfarers reached 137-2.

Openers Eric Linge (32*) and Alex Samson (36*) led the way for Ferndown, with Freddie Pittaway (27) and James Raftery (25) stretching the lead further by the end of the 10th over.

Ferndown looked to have halted their opponents relatively early when they took five wickets at the expense of just 74 runs, but Halesowen stayed alive via M G Pardoe (85).

Heading into the final over, Pardoe required 16 runs, but could only find enough tie scores, Wayfarers advancing.

That meant Wayfarers were the third Hurn Bridge side to reach the final, following in the footsteps of Poole Town (2010) and Bashley (Rydal) in 2022.

However, Wayfarers’ dream run would come to an end in the final, where they were defeated by Broadstairs.

Broadstairs won the toss and elected to bat first, with Ferndown able to apply some early pressure by taking out openers Andrew Bailey and Tom Marshall for a combined 28 runs.

However, Broadstairs’ middle order produced the goods, Nathan Fox and George Kidd more than doubling their side’s tally before the latter was bowled out by Sansom, the Kent side’s tally 71-3 in the eighth over.

In the final three overs Broadstairs extended their total to 126-4 by the end of the innings, leaving Ferndown with an tall but achievable ask.

However, Wayfarers’ start at the crease undermined their chase, Alex Sansom (3) bowled out at the start of the second over before Ling (0) was ran out two balls later.

In the third over Pittaway was dismissed without scoring a run, Will Sansom coming in to start a lengthy stay at the crease in comparison.

Alongside Raftery (9) and later Lewis (0), Sansom’s 38 runs were in vain as he saw a knock caught towards the end of the over, Ferndown’s total of 77 some way off Broadstairs’ tally.

Ferndown: Eric Linge, James Raftery, Will Samson, Alex Samson, Freddie Pittaway, Miles Lewis.