Old Merchant Taylors' moved into the quarter final of the Cricketer Cup after a thrilling 16-run victory against Uppingham Rovers.

Having won the toss and decided to bat, OMT were well-placed at 103 for two after 29 overs thanks to Jawwad Rasheed (40) and Ash Mehta (29).

However, a loose shot by Mehta and a harsh LBW decision against Rasheed heralded a middle order collapse which saw five wickets fall for four runs in the space of 20 deliveries. An invaluable 50-run partnership between Kavit Patel (21) and James Baillie (24) helped OMT to a final total of 168.

It wasn’t the largest total to defend but the bowling of Patel gave OMT a chance as he claimed three for 18 off his ten overs.

Rasheed and Andrew Sharland then did further damage as they tore the heart out of the Uppingham batting.

That left Uppingham with just one wicket remaining and 29 runs still needed. James Baillie was handed the ball and he picked up the final wicket to dismiss Rovers for 152.

The draw for the quarter-finals sees OMT playing away to Old Tonbridgians and team manager Phillip Newfield said: “I was delighted with the excellent team performance and the intensity of our cricket, including six fine catches, which placed huge pressure on the Uppingham batsmen.

“We will now look to take the momentum from our victory forward to the quarter-final at Tonbridge.”