FARNWORTH Social Circle added the Lancashire/Yorkshire title to their stockpile of indoor trophies on Sunday.

The Bolton League side beat Dearne, the 2014 ECB National Club Indoor champions, by 15 runs to win a place in the regional finals on March 5 – the winners of which will go through to the national finals at Lord's.

Social Circle posted a good score of 133-3 before getting all six of the Yorkshire side's players out for 118.

There are four regional finals – one each at Derby, Edgbaston, Taunton and Canterbury – and Social Circle will pit themselves against either Sandyford from Staffordshire or Grasshoppers from Shropshire in the semi-final in Derby then hopefully the winners of the other semi between Spondon from Derbyshire and South Shields from Durham in the final on the same day.

Social Circle, who have won the Bolton indoor title for the last two years and became Lancashire indoor champions last month, got off to a great start against Dearne when opener Ryan Ayres scored an excellent 48 not out.

Captain David Tonge retired not out on 27, Zac Wilson scored 25 and Christian Walsh added 14 not out at the end.

Social Circle were in control throughout the reply apart from a late flurry from Dearne which was halted when they lost their last two wickets.

David Mather took 1-14 from two overs, Ayres 1-37 from three overs and Tonge 1-36 from three with a Dearne opener and last two batters all run out.

Tonge, who captains the indoor side, said: "We thought if we scored 110 it would be about par and we were around that but Ryan Ayres hit a four and few sixes at the end and we finished up with 133.

"We thought we would be able to defend that and we were in control right through, but then I got hit for a few and it was a bit in the balance until we got a couple of wickets and that was it.

"It was a good all-round team performance. We had a bit of a different team for one reason or another. A couple of people couldn't play so we brought in Tim Barrow, who hasn't played indoors for a few years – and he did a good job – and Zac Wilson who's about 19 and did well.

"It was a bit of a different team but it clicked.

"Now we've got a semi-final and final on the same day to hopefully be regional winners and then it's national finals day at Lord's.

"We've always taken it seriously and always try to field a strong team for the indoors.

"It's a different game to outdoor cricket, there's a lot of skill involved in how you play the ball.

"And it's good to get back in the groove of hitting the ball again and get a bit of fitness back."

SCORECARD

ECB Indoor Championship

County play-off

Farnworth Social Circle won by 15 runs

Farnworth Social Circle

T Barrow run out 6

R Ayres not out 48

D Tonge ret not out 27

Z Wilson c Unsure b Moffatt 25

C Walsh not out 14

D Mather st b Moffatt 0

Extras 13

Total 133-3

Bowling: Whaley 3-0-23-0, Batty 3-0-46-0, Moffatt 3-0-26-2, Cooper 3-0-36-0.

Dearne

N Dymock lbw b Mather 0

J Cooper run out 40

G Batty c&b Tonge 12

L Mitchell c Barrow b Ayres 22

A Whaley run out 4

C Moffatt run out 28

Extras 12

Total 118-6

Bowling: Mather 2-0-14-1, Ayres 3-0-37-1, Barrow 3-0-31-0, Tonge 3-0-36-1.