HEREFORDSHIRE go into tomorrow's ECB 38 County Cup final at Lord's knowing that they have hammered opponents Cheshire once already this season.

This will be Herefordshire's third appearance at the home of cricket, but they are still to record a win. In 1995 the county lost by two wickets to Cambridgeshire in the last over of the MCC Trophy final.

And in 1998 they went down by seven wickets in the first round of the NatWest trophy to the first class side of Middlesex.

But it will be the fifth appearance at Lord's for Herefordshire Captain Harshad Patel, playing their for both the Midland Club Cricket Conference and for Stourbridge when they won the National Club Competition.

Despite thrashing tomorrow's opponents by 168 runs in Cheadle Hulme last month, Patel knows that he can take nothing for granted.

"They are a good outfit and a well-balanced side, but we will take it as it comes," he said. "We will go out to enjoy it." It is a view shared by Herefordshire cricket chairman Bryan Smith. "It would be nice to win for the first time at Lord's, but Cheshire are a good side," he added.

And Herefordshire chairman Nick Nenadich said: "The squad have played some fantastic cricket and to get to the final is just reward to the way they have approached every game."

However, selection is the main problem facing Patel. Everyone has played well and will obviously want to be included so he has some tough decisions to make.

The county didn't have the easiest of qualifying pools, but came through with a 100 per cent record to become only one of two teams in the eight groups to win all four of their pool matches.

Shropshire, Worcestershire Board, Wales and Warwickshire Board all fell by the way side as Herefordshire advanced to the quarter-finals. The 200-1 against Worcestershire Board was their best result with Ravi Nagra hitting 90 not out.

They then beat Gloucestershire Board to reach the last four where a narrow victory over Berkshire booked their place at Lord's.

Cheshire, unbeaten in their pool matches, are led by captain Ian Cockbain, a former skipper of the Minor Counties' representative side.

He said: "We're looking forward to it. Herefordshire are a very good side and they hammered us in the two-day game, so we will have to do better than that."