CALMORE Sports Club are preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play the Village Cup final at the Home of Cricket, Lord’s, while captain Mark Lavelle pinches himself saying: “We are as ready as we will ever be.”

The Hampshire side have reached the final of the competition at the first time of asking, marking their debut run with a 10-wicket victory over Stoke Green in the semi-final to earn a Lord’s opportunity on Sunday.

They will meet Cheshire’s Alvanley CC for village cricket’s most prestigious prize, celebrating its 50th year no less, although it’s been as long as six weeks since Calmore’s semi-final demolition.

Lavelle insists the gravity of Sunday’s play-date has taken a while to sink in, but that his side are ready for the occasion.

He told the Daily Echo: “We played a friendly last Saturday just to keep ourselves ticking over and we had our last training session last night with all the lads, so we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.

“It’s every young cricketer’s dream to play at Lord’s so for us to have that opportunity is going to be incredible, it’s been all anyone’s talked about, now it’s sprung up on us we can’t wait to get down there and experience everything Lord’s brings.

“It’s great for everyone at the club, not just the players but the ground and bar staff, we had a bit of rain on the day of the semi-final so to keep the game on was an incredible effort and they’ll all get to enjoy their day at Lord’s as well."

Calmore have used a number of different players throughout the run leaving a difficult decision at Lavelle’s door, who is battling to be this year’s competition’s most prolific wicket-taker himself.

He added: “We’re taking 13 but the two lads that are unfortunate to miss out are aware they’re not playing.

“We’re going to have an unchanged side – it’s very difficult to change a team that wins so convincingly by 10 wickets.

“The positive thing is that they will get to experience the same thing we do, they can come on as a 12th man and field, the competition are great for that and it certainly made a horrible conversation for me a little bit easier.”

As plans begin to set in motion for the showpiece fixture, Calmore were made aware that they will be occupying the away changing room – which Lavelle says is steeped in history in its own right.

The skipper revealed: “I’ve been told by Liphook, who got there in 2018, that there is a toss for the changing rooms, I’ve not won many tosses this season.

“But what actually happened is the MCC have told us we’ve got the away one, so the lads gave me a bit of banter about the fact I’ve lost another toss, but the away room has got as much history as the home if not more.

“All the players that have walked through there, Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, your Don Bradman's, your Lara's, Tendulkar, we’re going to be sharing the same changing room that those guys have.

“Looking up and seeing who’s got hundreds and five-fors and hopefully one of us can replicate that, writing ourselves into a little bit of Lord’s history.”