Winning the toss and batting proved to be the winning strategy in the T20 Cup semi-finals on Sunday, as HCC and VRA set their opponents targets of eight an over or just short of it and marched into next week’s final.

HCC suffered an early setback against Hermes-DVS at De Diepput when Oliver White clattered his own stumps while attempting to hit Aryan Dutt into the Van Hogenhoucklaan, but then Clayton Floyd and skipper Boris Gorlee added 80 for the second wicket in ten overs before Gorlee was stumped off Hikmatullah Jabarkhail for a 35-ball 67 which included eight fours and three sixes.

Floyd had been much more subdued, but he opened out after his captain’s departure, going after Jabarkhail and reaching 26 before he was dismissed by Olivier Elenbaas.

Hidde Overdijk and Thijs Vrolijk added 27 in the final three overs to take their side to 156 for six, Elenbaas claiming two for 27 and Braat conceding just 23 runs in his four overs.

Daniel Doyle-Calle and Ash Ostling put on 18 from the first three overs, but a moment’s hesitation by Doyle when he was called through by his partner for a single to midwicket cost him his wicket, Hidde Overdijk’s direct hit finding him just short.

Teun Leijer removed Ostling in the next over, and when Jan-Wieger Overdijk dismissed Ralph Elenbaas Hermes were in trouble at 34 for three.

Olivier Elenbaas (22 from 19 deliveries) and Dutt (17 from 16) added 29, but then Floyd removed Dutt and Justin Trijzelaar claimed Elebaas and Asad Zulfiqar in the next over, and at 66 for six with eight overs left the issue was effectively settled.

Braat and Mussayab Jamil did their best to turn the game around, putting on 43 from 23 deliveries, but another double-wicket over from Trijzelaar, this time including Braat for 19, followed by Hidde Overdijk’s dismissal ofJamil for a 13-ball 21, ended the revival, and Hermes were all out for 121 with one over remaining.

Trijzelaar finished with four for 28, Hidde Overdijk claiming two for 18.

At Westvliet, VRA were given a decent start against Voorburg by Vikram Singh and Shirase Rasool, although the former was well below his hard-hitting best in making a 20-ball 16 and the Amsterdammers suffered a further setback when Rasool, who had looked in very good touch as he made 41 from 25 deliveries, was forced to retire ill with the total on 67 for one after nine overs.

Cedric de Lange showed his versatility by removing Teja Nidamanuru and Shariz Ahmad in successive overs, finishing with two for 10 from his two overs, but Jack Cassidy (36 from 22) and Ibaad Zaidi (25 not out from 18) added 60 for the fifth wicket, and VRA closed on 159 for seven.

Nidamanuru removed the dangerous De Lange in the second over of Voorburg’s reply, and then Ben Fletcher had the equally dangerous Noah Croes caught behind by Cassidy to reduce the chasers to 10 for two.

Waseem Mohsen, however, was still at the other end, and his 42-ball 58 kept his side in the game; but when he was well caught by Singh at long on off Fletcher the score was 99 for five, and 61 were still required from 33 deliveries.

That was a big ask, and despite a 25-ball 30 from Ryan Klein Voorburg could only manage 137 for eight, 23 runs short of their target.

Fletcher finished with four for 25 and Peter Ruffell two for 27.

So the final, to be played at Sportpark Harga in Schiedam next Saturday, will be between HCC, trying to take the Cup for the second time, and VRA, who have won it four times, most recentlyin 2020.