Victory in the regional final of the national club championship on Sunday will take them to within three games of an appearance at Lord's.

In only their second season in the ECB Cockspur Cup, Papplewick are on the brink of a place in the last 16 in the country – a feat no other club in the Dispatch district has ever come close to achieving.

But standing in the way of Papplewick guru, the former England Test ace Phil DeFreitas, is none other than the best man at his wedding!

For all-rounder Trevor Smith, a good friend of DeFreitas since their playing days together at Derbyshire, is one of the star players for Papplewick's opponents on Sunday, Ockbrook and Borrowash.

DeFreitas's men have already won through four rounds in their regional group, beating Sheffield United, Wollaton, Kimberley and, in the semis, Elsecar.

Now they tackle Ockbrook, unbeaten leaders of the crack Derbyshire Premier League (DPL) and a side who reached the national final at Lord's in 2004, when they lost to Kibworth, of Leicestershire.

The match takes place at the picturesque Papplewick Hall ground with a 1 pm start – and local cricket enthusiasts are urged to go along to support the club.

Admission is free and there will be a licensed bar, open all day, plus a barbecue and extra car-parking space.

If underdogs Papplewick cause an upset and win, they go through to the national knockout stages of the 45-over tournament themselves, along with the winners of the 15 other regional groups.

"It's a massive game," admits player/coach and captain DeFreitas (42), who won 44 Test caps and played in 103 one-day internationals.

"Every game in the competition has got bigger and bigger, so it shows the progress the club have made and the direction in which we are moving.

"We have had a fairly decent season so far but this is when it all starts to count."

Ockbrook are formidable opponents – as their record this season shows.