ASTWOOD Bank cricketers make the trip to Leicestershire this Sunday where they take on The Langtons for a place in the National Village Cup semi-finals.

The winners will be effectively just one game away from a September showpiece final at Lords - the home of cricket.

Astwood Bank are no strangers to Lords. They made the first ever village final in 1972 when they lost to Cornwall side Troon.

They returned to Lords in 2003 but again missed out on the trophy when beaten by Shipton-under-Wychwood from Oxfordshire.

But now the Bank are hoping it will be third time lucky as they prepare to line up against a Langtons side who are currently riding high in Leicestershire League Division One.

They'll be no shortage of support for the Bank as they will be taking two coachloads to the game and chairman John Alexander said: " I expect another 50 or so will make their own way to the game, so we should have well over 100 supporters.

"It should prove a great atmosphere, but we'll be taking nothing for granted. Even though we're a Birmingham League side, they'll be no complacency.

"Back in the days when we were a Worcester League side, we knocked a couple of Birmingham League sides out of the competition, so it can work both ways."

Should the Bank succeed on Sunday, they are guaranteed a home draw in the semi-finals.

In the previous round, the Bank drew a crowd between 400 to 500 for the victory over Fillongley at their Sambourne Lane ground and they would expect to exceed that number should they make it past Sunday's game at The Langtons.

Mr Alexander added: "This is a competition that we religiously enter every year, having been involved in the very first final. It really seems to attract the crowds as people appear to like the format of knock-out cricket rather than the intensity which Birmingham League cricket can often bring.

"It has certainly given everyone a real buzz and attracted more people to the club . It has certainly got everyone in the village talking".