Hugo Darby smashed a brilliant century as Banbury beat High Wycombe by six runs in the ECB Twenty20 Home Counties quarter-finals yesterday.

Darby hit 104 off 72 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes, to take the hosts to 183-6 after they had been put in to bat.

The visitors were then held to 177-7, despite a hard-hitting 75 from Adam Hose.

The match was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Banbury CC and Banbury RUFC stalwart Bob Mitchelmore, who died on Sunday.

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Once the action got under way Darby dominated an opening stand of 121 with Lloyd Sabin (32), before High Wycombe fought back.

The visitors then crashed to 6-3, capped by former Banbury batsman Nathan Hawkes being bowled first ball by Karl Penhale (3-28).

But they rallied through Hose, whose 53-ball stay included seven boundaries and four sixes, George Russell (39) and David Cranfield-Thompson (40no) only to fall short.

Banbury will now face Reading, who won by six wickets at Tring Park, in the last four on finals day back at White Post Road on Sunday, July 26.

Horspath suffered a ten-wicket hammering at Gerrards Cross.

The visitors were held to 138-9 after electing to bat, with 15-year-old opener Harrison Ward top-scoring with a fluent 44 off 32 balls, with five fours and two maximums.

But from 68-0, the innings fell away.

Dan Hampton, with an unbeaten 88 off 54 balls, which included six boundaries and six maximums, and Sam Westaway (49no) then took Gerrards Cross to victory with 4.1 overs to spare.

QUARTER-FINAL SCORES

Banbury 183-6 (H Darby 104, L Sabin 32, C Haddow 3-28), High Wycombe 177-7 (A Hose 75, C Parsons 40no, G Russell 39, K Penhale 3-28, L Manley 3-30).

Horspath 138-9 (H Ward 44, R Knudsen 3-24), Gerrards Cross 140-0 (15.5 ovs, D Hampton 88no, S Westaway 49no).

Henley 124-8 (D Barnes 32, S Khan 3-30), Slough 126-7 (19 ovs, W Hussain 55).

Tring Park 127 (R Pritchard 48, A Rishton 3-17), Reading 128-4 (19.3 ovs, J Beaven 42no).

SEMI-FINAL LINE-UP

(Sunday, July 26, at Banbury)

Slough v Gerrards Cross, Reading v Banbury.