Glamorgan and Somerset were the two sides to end up with home semi-finals as the One-Day Cup group games came to a mostly predictable climax – with one bizarre twist.
Warwickshire, the other side to have already qualified, were joined in the knockout stages by neighbours Worcestershire, holders Leicestershire and last year’s beaten finalists Hampshire.
But, although Worcestershire’s defeat by Lancashire did not cost them second place in Group A, they cannot now host Friday’s quarter-final because their New Road ground is currently hosting England Lions v Sri Lanka.
Instead, they must now play it away – and that will be against Midlands neighbours Warwickshire at Edgbaston after the Bears lost their final group game and could only finish third in Group B.
The winners of Friday’s derby will then go on to take on Glamorgan in Cardiff on Sunday.
Sunday’s other semi will be between Group A winner Somerset and the winners of Friday’s quarter-final between Leicestershire and Hampshire, a repeat of last year’s final.
Derbyshire beat Durham in a meeting of two other clubs who started the day with hopes, but they missed out on qualification as Hampshire, who beat Middlesex, have a superior net run rate, while Gloucestershire missed out in the head-to-head winner-takes-all meeting with the Foxes.
