ENGLISH import Rob Lankester will miss the upcoming Tom Locker Cup final as Wests and Stockton prepare for dual clashes against each other.
Newcastle District Cricket Association's top sides face off in the one-day decider at No.1 Sportsground on Sunday, following the start of a two-day fixture at Lynn Oval on Saturday.
Wests batsman Lankester, who has 103 runs at 34.33 during 2022-23, is unavailable for the title showdown with tickets already booked for the T20 World Cup final at the MCG this weekend.
"It's a big loss for us, but we only found out when the Tom Locker Cup final was scheduled last week," Rosellas captain James King said.
Wests paceman Brad Aldous will line-up in the decider but won't take part in the two-day clash.
Both sides have selection headaches on the second day of the two-day clash on November 19, with a handful of players expected to be part of Newcastle's representative squad for the NSW Country Championships.
"Obviously the rep players are out the second week which is a bit messy, but it will essentially be the same for both sides," Stockton skipper Nick Foster said.
Wests are striving for a third straight Tom Locker Cup crown while Stockton are featuring in their first final since last holding the trophy aloft in 2008-09.
They officially qualified on Saturday after finishing on top of their respective 40-over pools.
The Rosellas (3-111) recorded a bonus-point victory against Belmont (110) at Cahill Oval, edging ahead on the overall ladder despite the Seagulls (1-161) comfortably accounting for Toronto (7-157) at Ron Hill Oval.
"We did what we needed to do with bat and ball to get the extra point, which is key at this time of year," King said.
Foster, who scored 83 not out and took 3-36, says "we got across the line but it wasn't our best performance".
Third-placed Wallsend (7-171) surged in front of Charlestown (8-167), who now slip to sixth, after reeling in the target seven wickets down with seven balls to spare at Kahibah Oval.
The Tigers had been 2-100 at the halfway mark.
"That was a big game for us. They [Charlestown] will be in the hunt pushing for finals so it's only early but it was an important one to win," Wallsend's leader Jake Montgomery said.
City (178) moved to fourth spot after successfully defending their total against Merewether (151) at Townson Oval.
University (2-222) jumped into fifth despite a run-a-ball 101 from Cardiff-Boolaroo (4-219) opener Joe Merlino.
Hamilton-Wickham (3-218) cracked a win with Rhys Hanlon's 103 the main difference against Waratah-Mayfield (4-217) at Passmore Oval.
POOL A: Wests 28, City 20, University 17, Merewether 12, Belmont 11, CBs 5.
POOL B: Stockton 27, Wallsend 22, Charlestown 16, Hamwicks 12, Toronto 7, Waratah 6.
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