PRESTON Nomads Cricket Club will be hoping to add to the already cup-clad trophy cabinet at the Spen Cama Memorial Ground as their juniors compete in finals action this week.

The Under-14s manager Robert Bowden and Under-16s manager Andy Garth will lead their troops into two cup finals against local rivals Brighton and Hove Cricket Club.

The Under-14s played yesterday and the Under-16s play tonight at 6pm at Nomads’ home ground.

Andy Garth’s team will have to up their game from the last time the two sides met in the league when Brighton and Hove eased to a nine-wicket victory. They locked horns in the South Area Young Cricketers League Under-14 Division One last Tuesday at the memorial ground and having won the toss, the visitors put Nomads in to bat.

The hosts lost opener Josh Jacobs for three when he was trapped LBW quickly followed by the loss of skipper Joe De Vivo who was caught behind by keeper Joe Marsh off the bowling of Louis Marshall. Ben Tunley was joined by Adam O’Brien.

Tunley was run out by Alec Scott just two runs short of his 25 and O’Brien retired not out for a fine 28.

Buoyed by the recovery, Elian Carniel and Flynn Middleton-Payne entered the fray. They pushed the total up to 123-3 off Nomads’ 20 overs after Middleton-Payne retired not out for 27 and Carniel carried his bat for 22. Brighton and Hove’s batsmen knocked the runs off in just 11.2 in a blistering display of power-hitting.

Skipper Leo Towers smashed 25 off 16 balls and his opening partner Samir Bahemou launched five boundaries in his 25 from just 10 balls.

After both openers had retired not out, Moses Brazil hit four boundaries on his way to 25 from 17 deliveries.

Nomads’ only wicket came when Alec Scott was caught by Carniel off the bowling of Nathan Bowden. But this brought powerhouse Stephen Marsh to the crease and he blasted two sixes and two fours to reach his 25 in just 9 balls to finish the game off.