By Kevin Redsull

Betteshanger Cricket Club suffered semi-final heartbreak for the second time in the ECB indoor 6-a-side championship national finals at Lord’s on Sunday.

Beaten at the last-four stage in 2010, Bettes again fell one hurdle from the final after qualifying for this year’s climax.

Captain Joffy Towe said: "It’s disappointing losing at the same stage as last time but it’s still better to get to Lord’s than being knocked out in the earlier rounds.

"We will be trying hard again next year to take that extra step to the final."

Bettes’ opponents on Sunday were Hampshire club Sarisbury, who included two players in their line-up who had won the title with other clubs.

Asked to bat first Sarisbury were restricted to 121 all out (Arslan Sahi 0-17) and, after starting slowly in reply Bettes’ openers Towe and Bob Spence upped the run rate and, at the six-over halfway point, they looked well placed with 49 on the board.

But a run-out in the seventh over saw Spence gone for 21. Towe retired on 25 soon after but then it all went wrong for Bettes as they lost four wickets for just two runs.

Towe returned as "last man standing" and, along with Mike McNicholas, scored 21 from the 11th over.

But the 25 they still required from the final over proved too much and Towe was caught out for 54 as Bettes were dismissed for 106.

Sarisbury then lost in the final to Welsh side Margam, who had beaten the pre-tournament favourites, Blaydon from Durham, in the other semi-final.