DORSET tomorrow begin their bid to reach T20 Finals Day when they face Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire in the NCCA Super 12s (1pm).

Luke Webb’s men are spared the early 10am start at Great & Little Tew, scheduled instead to play the loser of Oxon and Cambs before taking on the winner at 4.30pm.

Whoever emerges on top after their respective matches will advance to the final four.

Preparation for all National Counties has been slightly disjointed this summer, with one round of 50-over cricket taking place last weekend before the T20 resumed.

In the intervening period, Dorset suffered a heavy 102-run loss to Cheshire but Webb is set to pick from a stronger squad this time round.

Ahead of the weekend’s fixtures he said: “It’s a bit of a weird campaign in terms of the rain that affected the group stage, but that doesn’t change anything.

“We’ve earned our right to be in that Super 12s by picking up the result we needed.

“We’re going to do everything in our power to go through to Finals Day. If we keep putting ourselves in these knockout positions, then we’re going to turn up and play well, eventually get to that final stage again.

“Hopefully, it’ll be this Sunday. We’ve got a really exciting squad playing some really good cricket for a number of years now.”

Assessing the opposition, Webb said: “We’ve come up against them both in recent years, Oxfordshire quite a bit and Cambridgeshire beat us in the semi-final of the Twenty20 a couple of years ago.

“Maybe out to put that right a bit. They’re in the same position as us. They’ll have full belief that can qualify and rightly so.

“All three teams on the day can comfortably go through to Finals Day and deserve to be there.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re in the right frame of mind and are bang on it so we give ourselves the maximum opportunity, because they will be strong.”

Asked if playing second and third is an advantage, Webb said: “I don’t really know.

“The one advantage we’ll have is that we’ll be going into that third game with something to play for, regardless of what happens.

“We want to win our first game and then our second, so there’s no questions about it.

“I’ve not been a part of this type of qualifier before, as I don’t think anyone else has.

“So, it’s all quite new and we’ll see how it pans out. You can get caught up in play first, play second, but whoever plays the better cricket will go through.

“That’s all I’m worried about.”

Dorset could have Hampshire all-rounder Felix Organ available, while Hampshire Seconds seamer James Trodd is in contention among a 13-man squad, further enriched by attacking batter Sam Young.

Dorset (from): Breckon, Burton, A Eckland, J Eckland, F Gordon, J Gordon, Organ, Smith, Trodd, Varney, Webb, Willows, Young.