FRED Barton starred with ball and then bat as Knowle trumped holders Bishopston by three wickets to reach the final of the Stuart Canvas Gloucestershire Cup.
Barton was the pick of his side’s attack with a return of 3-18 from eight as Bishopston folded to 127 all out after winning the toss, Oli Haynes (2-6) and Habib Naqvi (2-21) also keeping the pressure on.
Barton then top scored on 51 in Knowle’s reply, Curtis Blakemore digging in for an important 30, as the home side got over the line despite a late scare as Dave O’Brien captured 4-13, including a burst of three wickets in five balls.
Knowle’s opponents in the final will be Golden Hill who cruised past Hatherley & Reddings by 135 runs to keep alive hopes of a trophy double after securing promotion as champions from the WEPL’s Bristol & North Somerset division.
The Bristol side were all out for 217, Tayyab Riaz top scoring on 95 as Max Kelly claimed 4-33 and Nipuna Gamage 4-39, both from nine.
Daz Ahmed then demolished the visitors’ top order with a spell of 5-24 from nine while two wickets apiece from Riyyaz and John Colley put the seal on a comfortable win.
While it’s an all-Bristol senior final, the Stuart Canvas Gloucestershire Trophy final will be between Westbury-on-Severn and Langford from the Gloucestershire County League.
Visitors Westbury turned the tables on Tewkesbury who were dismissed for 108 after winning the toss, Dan Hockaday taking 4-27 and captain Greg Artus then hitting 44 in a seven-wicket success.
And Langford were five-wicket winners away to holders Charlton Kings who were pegged back to 168-8, Ali Main, Jack Romanek, Ben Brown and Francis Bradley all taking two wickets apiece.
Captain Jeremy Kirby then top scored on 49 in Langford’s reply as the win was closed out with almost seven overs to spare despite Benny Ellis’ spell of 4-39 from eight.
Details of both finals will be announced shortly.