Top seeds get home fare

This weekend's semi-finals in the ECB 50+ County Championship will see Somerset take on Middlesex and Oxfordshire face Kent.

As Kent and Middlesex have both reached the semi-finals from Group 5 they cannot be paired against each other and as the first and second seeds Somerset and Oxfordshire are still in the competition, they have the advantage of home draws.

Kent took the scalp of 2009 winners Derbyshire in their quarter-final, batting first at Gravesend and making 213 for nine, and then restricting their visitors to 144 for nine in their 45 overs.

While Middlesex won against Cricket Board of Wales at Sudbrook, Somerset thrashed Warwikshire at Taunton Deane by 155 runs. David Stephenson (61), Bill Buckingham (49) and Paul Ashton (41) powered them to 270 for six; and all six bowlers chipped in with wickets as the visitors were skittled for 115 in 33 overs.

Oxfordshire's progress was similarly emphatic as they made 215 for seven after winning the toss against Hampshire, and bowled out the away side for 96 inside 36 tight overs, Arnold's 5-17 the pick of the crop.