Mens Knockout Cup Semi Final Round Up

This years Lancashire Knockout Cup finalists have been confirmed following two closely contested semi-finals, with Leigh CC and Northern CC booking their places in the final after victories over Royton and Horwich RMI respectively.

Leigh edge past Royton

Leigh produced a composed run chase to secure a six-wicket victory over Royton and earn their place in the final. After Royton elected to bat, Leigh's bowlers made an excellent start, reducing their opponents to 51-6 before a determined seventh-wicket partnership between Joseph Aston (42) and Bilawal Iqbal (44) rebuilt the innings.

Sachithra Perera added a quickfire unbeaten 20 to lift Royton to 167 all out from 39.4 overs. Adam Shallcross and Ben Smith both claimed three wickets, while Patrick Allan and Matthew McKiernan picked up two apiece in an impressive all-round bowling performance.

In response, Leigh made light work of the target. Luke Prescott anchored the chase with an unbeaten 63, sharing valuable partnerships throughout the innings. Contributions from Tom Grundy (20), Edwin Brewer (19), Matthew McKiernan (24) and Harry Church (13) ensured the hosts reached 171-4 with more than seven overs to spare, sealing a comfortable six-wicket victory.

Northern hold off Horwich RMI

Northern claimed a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Horwich RMI in a closely fought contest at Moor Park. Horwich elected to bat first and posted 170-9 from their 45 overs.

Evan Williams led the innings with an excellent 68, while Joe Gatenby-Brown added 29 and Jack Berry contributed 19. Northern's bowling attack shared the wickets, with Tomas Sephton producing the standout spell of 4-15, supported by Daniel Wilson (2-38), Cameron Sawatzky (1-33) and Louis Bhabra (1-27).

Northern's response was built around several important contributions rather than one dominant innings. Louis Bhabra struck a fluent 37 from just 24 deliveries before Shivy Gautam guided the chase with an unbeaten 39.

Bryce Jose (26), Liam Grey (24) and Johnny Browne (16) all played supporting roles as Northern reached 171-6 in 39.4 overs to book their place in the final. Louis Johnson was the pick of the Horwich attack with figures of 3-37.

Final confirmed

The 2026 Lancashire Knockout Cup Final will see Leigh CC take on Northern CC at the AO Farington Cricket Ground on Sunday 30 August. The final promises to be a fitting conclusion to this year's competition, with both clubs producing impressive semi-final performances to secure their place in the showpiece event. Should the weather intervene, the reserve date for the final is Sunday 6 September.