North Village and Young Men’s Social Club have agreed to replay a disputed Commercial League Twenty20 knockout semi-final.

Village beat eight-man Social Club by ten wickets last Sunday but Social Club filed a protest immediately afterwards, claiming Village fielded three ineligible players.

The protest meant the final, scheduled for later in the day, could not proceed, proving a wasted journey for the two officials who turned up to umpire the game.

League champions Spring Garden Cavaliers, who beat Bailey’s Bay in their semi-final the previous weekend, are due to face the winners of the Village-Social Club tie in the final.

The semi-final has been rescheduled for 3pm tomorrow at Shelly Bay Field, with the final to follow in a week’s time.

Social Club, newcomers to the league this season, called for Village to be disqualified from the competition if their protest was upheld.

Larry Douglas, Social Club’s manager, e-mailed the protest to Barry Richards, the league president, questioning the eligibility of three players, including Brian Hall, who played for Western Stars this year.

The protest was discussed at a committee meeting on Wednesday night, but Douglas was unable to attend.

However, Douglas confirmed yesterday that his team, who have struggled for players this season, would replay the game and he hoped to be able to field a full side.

Allen Walker, the Village captain, said Hall’s season at Western Stars ended in August and he was under the impression that he was free to include him in the Village team last weekend.

Dave Carruthers, the league’s secretary and treasurer, said that existing rules were unclear over player eligibility and the meeting agreed “on the sensible solution” of a replay.

At the same time, it was decided that Hall would not be permitted to play this weekend.

The two other players were not correctly identified in Social Club’s protest, but Walker named them and the meeting cleared the pair to continue playing for the club.

One of them, Dion Ball, returned to Village after playing “one or two games” for Devonshire Recreation Club this season, according to Walker, while the other, Rudy Smith, has not played for Devonshire Rec since last year, when the Commercial League took a season’s break.

“A replay is the sensible solution,” Carruthers said. “To keep the peace, let’s play it again.

“The rules are unclear, so it’s in the interest of sportsmanship that we play it over.”

Walker also blamed Social Club for last Sunday’s game starting 45 minutes late.

Under existing rules, teams face forfeiting a match if they are not ready to play within 30 minutes of the official start.

In the game, Social Club, who won the toss, made 92 for four from their 20 overs, with Eric Dunkley making 42 not out.

In reply, Village raced to 96 without loss inside nine overs. Arun Kikkeri was 41 not out and Hall 34 not out.