CANTERBURY Cricket Club missed out on a third National Finals day at Lord's next month after losing to Surrey side Worcester Park by 40 runs in the South Eastern Indoor Cricket Finals at the Kent Academy on Sunday.

Skipper Simon Smith admitted: "We didn't play to our full potential, and our fielding let us down, missing two half chances, and we gave away too many overthrows.

"We never recovered from losing two early wickets, and it was disappointing because we had great support."

The defeat ended Canterbury's unbeaten run of 16 games in all competitions, stretching back to October.

Set 98 to win, they lost Ryan Minter for nought in the first over, and Ben Cooper went for a single in the next.

Smith and Paul Steer took the score to 31 in the sixth, before the captain was dismissed, followed by Damien Minter who was run out as he and Steer (30) tried in vain to increase the run-rate.

Rob Marsh was last man out for 12, with Canterbury all out for 57.

Worcester Park batted first, and lost a quick wicket when Marsh pulled off a brilliant catch, but missed chances and overthrows let them off the hook.

Marsh held another good catch off Cooper as Park reached 47-2 in the sixth, but they continued to score at a steady rate before top player Joe Hill retired on 28 in the 10th over, and they then lost another wicket to a run-out.

The tail-enders only managed four apiece as Park finished on 97 for three, Cooper was the pick of the bowlers with two for 17 from his three overs.