FERNDOWN Wayfarers are through to the Lord's finals of the ECB national six-a-side cricket championships.

They stormed through the west regional play-offs in Somerset's indoor centre at Taunton, sweeping aside Welsh champions Neyland and then Southern Premier League side Old Tauntonians & Romsey in ruthless fashion.

Pembrokeshire-based Neyland, last winter's beaten Lord's finalists, were soundly beaten by six wickets and then, with 17-year old Freddie Pittaway leading the way, Ferndown went on to skittle OTs & Romsey for a meagre 38 to win the regional final by a thumping 95-run margin.

Ferndown's reward is a national semi-final meet-up with powerful ECB Birmingham & District Premier League outfit Halesowen, who won the Midlands group.

Winners of the Dorset Indoor League last month, Ferndown went into the Taunton play-offs as underdogs - but they soon shrugged off that tag with a commanding performance against Neyland.

The Welshmen lost two early wickets to Pittaway and Miles Lewis and, save middle-order pair Nick Koomen (28) and Sean Hannon (27), made little impression.  

Their well below par 73-4 was greedily polished off by Alex Sansom (26) and Eric Linge (25), who both retired as Ferndown cruised home without loss with 15 balls to spare.

Ferndown were arguably again second favourites to win the regional final against OTs & Romsey, who beat much fancied West of England Premier League side Bridgwater by 10 runs in the semi-finals.

But once again Wayfarers rose to the occasion, none more so than teenager Pittaway, who recorded a sensational four-wicket new-ball spell.

Opener Sansom (33no) top scored as Ferndown posted 122-3, the highest total of the day.

Pittaway, who rushed back to Sparsholt Agricultural College after the finals to prepare for an important examination the following morning, simply blew OTs away with a phenomenal spell of 4-21 - all four dismissals hitting the stumps, one even breaking them!

The right-arm paceman even had a hand in Miles Lewis's 2-17 return, catching Harry Tulk (17) on the back boundary wall as  OTs were all out for 38 in 4.4 overs.

The finals takes place on Sunday, March 17.

Ferndown: Eric Linge, James Raftery, Will Samson, Alex Samson, Freddie Pittaway, Miles Lewis.