Peterborough Town crush former national champions to reach a second area final in a row

Wickets and runs for Mohammed Danyall for Peterborough Town against Swardeston.

Town will take on Essex Premier League side Wanstead and Snaresbrook at home on Sunday, June 19. The clubs have national competition history as Town beat Wanstead in the quarter-finals of the ECB T20 competition in 2014.

It was a surprisingly comfortable path to that big day next month for Town who amassed 278-6 in their 40 overs before despatching Swardeston, who won the competition as recently as 2019, for 145.

It was a supreme all-round display with an innings built around a 116-run fourth wicket stand between in-form Mohammed Danyaal (54) and skipper David Clarke (52). Openers Chris Milner (37) and Josh Smith (23) supplied a solid start before a late flurry from Lewis Bruce (37no from 29 balls) took Town to a formidale final score, albeit against a side who piled up 362 against Bourne in the previous round.

Nothing like that was ever likely to happen once pace bowler Danyaal (3-31) and leg-spinner Karanpal Singh (3-34) made early inroads into the visitors’ batting. Bruce picked up two wickets later in the innings as Town eased home.