MUCH more than local pride will be on the line tomorrow when Dorset and Wiltshire face off for a place in the last four of the MCCA Trophy.

The neighbouring south-west counties clash at Bournemouth’s Dean Park in the Minor Counties’ one-day competition knowing that victory will leave them just a single success away from the final at Durham’s Riverside Ground.

Dorset are yet to be defeated this season in competitive cricket but team manager Sean Walbridge is expecting that record to be put to the test tomorrow (11am).

“It’s a local derby and we are at home so we are really looking forward to it,” said Walbridge. “We welcome back Rich Banham, who can’t play for us in three-day cricket.

“He’s a really quick bowler at this level and probably one of the quickest in the Minor Counties.

“The forecast is good so we are hoping to get a big crowd behind us and that can help spur us on.

“I know Wiltshire are a very good one-day side and we are two evenly-matched teams so it is all about who produces their best cricket on the day.

“If we prepare well again, we’ll make sure it’s us going through.”

From the last one-day match against Oxfordshire, Chris Morgan will replace Chris Jones (Somerset commitments) at the top of the order, with Simon Watkins or Eric Linge filling the empty bowling spot depending on the day’s conditions at Dean Park.

But with the final at Durham now just two wins away, Walbridge is allowing himself to think of the consequences of two more victories in the MCCA Trophy.

“You have got to dare to dream because you need to have hopes and ambitions in sport,” he said. “The final is on the horizon and it would bring it right into focus if we won tomorrow.

“We have to win a quarter-final and semi-final first but everyone would love to get to Durham and play in the final.”

Dorset (from): N Park, Morgan, Williams, Treagus, Cowley, C Park, Hicks, Watkins, Metcalfe, Denham, Linge, Banham. Scorer: Chris Drew.