Police 220-7 Cleveland reached their second straight Knockout Cup final yesterday when their total of 233 proved too steep for Police in the end at White Hill Field.

Bailey's Bay beat Willow Cuts at St. John's Field in the other semi-final to assure an all Eastern Counties Knockout final.

Police's required run rate at the start was 4.66 and that crept up to six an over after 20 overs when they could only manage 54-3. However a fourth wicket stand of 128 between opener Dwayne Leverock and former Cleveland captain Peter Philpott gave Police some hope late in the innings.

Their cause was helped by a very expensive over from Cecil (Sam) Pitcher who conceded 31 in his ninth over from five sixes and a single as Police reached 155 with 12 overs remaining. That left them needing 79 and with Leverock and Philpott still there the match could still have gone either way.

Things changed when Philpott was dismissed in the 41st over for 82, caught by wicketkeeper Allan Douglas at square leg after mis-hitting a hook shot. Three overs later Leverock was caught at long-on by Courtney Trott for 73, with the score now 181-5 with just six overs left.

Roger Blades gave some hope with a quick 23 but Cleveland hung on for victory as Daniel Reece and Andrew Rollins failed to meet the challenge of scoring 19 off the last over from Trott for victory.

Carlton Smith and Johnny Richardson claimed three for 22 and 48 respectively to lead the Cleveland bowling while Pitcher was expensive in his spell, giving up 61 runs.

Earlier Richardson, promoted to number four in the batting, responded by scoring 66 to finish as high man while Allan Douglas scored 57, opener Wayne Smith 30 and captain Aaron Adams 19 not out. Philpott was the only Police bowler taking more than one wicket, finishing with two for 46 from eight overs.

Willow Cuts 179 Bailey's Bay 183-2 The last time these two teams met in an overs match, Bay scored 303 and still lost to Willow Cuts.

Yesterday at St. John's Field, they never allowed their opponents to build a big total, thanks to some tight bowling from the outset which led to the dismissal of Dwight Basden in the first over.

They recovered to 78-4 and after slumping again to 116-7, a stand of 50 for the seventh wicket between Cordell Gilbert (30) and Rodney Fubler (20) rebuilt the innings. Then the last three wickets went down for 13 runs as Clarkie Trott completed figures of five for 31 from 10 overs.

Richard Basden was high man for Cuts with 37 while Jermaine Warner contributed 28 at the top of the order.

Bay paced themselves to a comfortable eight-wicket win with 4.5 overs remaining, thanks to an opening stand of 67 between Roger Trott (60 not out) and Cal Dill (32).

Glenn Blakeney and Trott then added 89 for the second wicket as Blakeney finished with 62. Richard Basden had one for 21 from 10 overs and Rodney Fubler one for 37.

CLOSE CALL -- Willow Cuts opener Jermaine Warner edges a delivery from Clarkie Trott through the slips during a knock of 28 in yesterday's Knockout Cup semi-final. Bailey's Bay won by eight wickets.