Essex club High Roding, defeated at home by Findon in the 2007 first national round, have won the Essex and Suffolk group again and are at home to Valley End, from the Surrey and Berkshire section.

And Findon's conquerors in the final, Woodhouse Grange are also in the last eight. They won North Yorkshire (South) and were drawn then against South Yorkshire and Humberside. That threw them into a repeat match of 2007 in which they met the 2006 winners, Houghton Main. Grange did not enjoy the match last year owing to what their captain Steve Burdett said were aggressive Houghton Main supporters. But this time there were no complaints about the spirit in which the game was played, or the hospitality of Houghton Main.

Woodhouse Grange, also winners in 1995 and losing finalists in 1999, then beat Streethouse of West Yorkshire, who defeated Beckwithshaw of North Yorkshire (North).

After Middleton beat Findon in the Sussex semi-final in June, they went to Iden and lost the county finalby 52 runs. Iden, against whom Findon scored 303 in the Sussex semi-final on their way to Lord's last year, fell to Kent champions Yalding in the first national round. But Yalding then became Valley End's victims.

If High Roding come through on Sunday they will be at home in the semi-final, to either Carew (Dyfed, Wales) or Marshfield (Gloucestershire). If Woodhouse Grange win at Castle Eden of Northumberland, they will travel to either Woodhouses . . . confusing . . . (South Lancs, Greater Manchester and Merseyside) or Shipley Hall (Derbyshire).

Of the last eight, only Woodhouse Grange have been to the final before.

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