Cleveland County coach Courtney Trott led by example after coming out of retirement to help his team reach the T20 First Division KO Cup final on Sunday.

Better known for his exploits as a seam bowler in his heyday, the 53-year-old proved he is also no slouch with the willow as he struck an unbeaten 19 in Cleveland’s 17-run victory against Willow Cuts in the semi-final at White Hill Field.

Trott was forced to kit up after discovering his team was a man short upon arrival at the ground.

“When I got up there and realised we was short I just bit the bullet and played,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“I was a little nervous when the first one came but it was a full toss that I was able to put away for a four.

“Everything settled down after that and we probably would’ve lost had I not gotten those 19 runs at the end.”

Cleveland posted 124 for eight after being sent to bat, with wicketkeeper Steven Bremar Jr top scoring with 39 and captain Mackih McGowan weighing in with an equally vital 24 in a match reduced to 14 overs owing to a wet pitch.

They then restricted Cuts to 107 for six in their reply, with Shaquille Pitcher (2 for 20) and McGowan (2 for 24) leading their attack.

Trott refused the urge to take the new ball.

“I was tempted to because I knew I could get the ball to swing when it’s new,” he said. “But I said ‘no’ because we have plenty of bowlers.”

McGowan is happy to have secured victory over Cuts and is looking forward to the final against T20 First Division champions Warwick, who beat Flatts in the other semi-final at Lord’s.

“They beat us in the league by six runs so we are hoping that we can learn from our lessons in the first game and overcome them in the final,” he said.

Warwick kept their bid for the league and KO Cup double alive after handing Flatts an 81 -run loss in the remaining semi-final in the east end.

Lorenzo Tucker’s team scored 181 for 4, with opener Tre Manders (75), Malachi Jones (41) and former captain Staphen Dill (27) providing the bulk of the runs.

They then restricted Flatts to 100 for five, with star all-rounder Kamau Leverock claiming three for 16 to lead the charge.

“We’re thrilled to have secured our place in next Sunday’s T20 play-off with a professional performance against Flatts,” Tucker said.

“It was a complete team performance and I’m very pleased with the discipline and execution as we continue to build momentum towards our goal of winning the tournament.

“We now face Cleveland in the final, which promises to be a highly competitive and entertaining match.

“They’ve proven to be a tough opponent. We were fortunate to get past them earlier in the league, so we know we’ll need to be at our very best.”