DORSET rivals Bournemouth Dolphins and Ferndown Otters are likely to be swimming in adjoining lanes at Cardiff next month after claiming their places in the National Swimming League’s Premier Division West final.

Dolphins’ thumping second-round victory at Kingswood keeps them third in the table and will put them next to national champions Plymouth Leander in the seeded regional final on December 13 – the first to feature 10 teams.

Ferndown’s third place at Bath was good enough to keep them in the top six and should put them on Dolphins’ other flank, adding spice to an already competitive event.

The first six teams at Cardiff will then have their times entered into the virtual gala against the top six from the other regional leagues to decide the 10 A and 10 B national finalists at Sheffield in April.

Both Otters and Dolphins made it to the B final last year but Bournemouth’s form this season suggests they could go a step further.

“We trained in the morning and were missing five swimmers so it was a pretty good result,” said coach Graham Bassi after his team finished 36 points ahead of nearest challengers Exeter City.

“If we can get in four weeks’ good training and work on our racing skills, I believe we could challenge for the A final for the first time.”

Bournemouth’s 19 race victories included two individual wins each from Martin Littlefair, Joe Poynter and Amelia Maughan.

In-form Littlefair won the 15/u 100m freestyle in 54.01 and 100m breaststroke in 1:11.97 and contributed to two relay wins.

Poynter’s wins came in the 13/u 100m breaststroke (1:11.80) and 100m butterfly (1:01.38).

Twelve-year-old Maughan showed her class by beating a legion of older girls in both the 15/u and 13/u 100m freestyle (1:00.92 and 1:00.54).

Other individual winners were Danielle Francis in the women’s 100m freestyle (59.70), Jay Olenicz in the 13/u 100m backstroke (1:04.81) and 11/u swimmers Rachel Hawkins (50m butterfly 36.51) and Ryan McCormack (50m freestyle 31.15).

Dolphins also won nine of the 16 relays, including all four in the 13/u age group.

n Ferndown Otters survived a catalogue of illness, injury and fatigue following a demanding training camp to finish third at Bath and book their customary place in regional final.

It will be their 24th final in 25 years, confirming their remarkable record as the league’s most consistent team.

Five of Otters’ 10 race wins came in the 11/u age group.

Alan Wong won the 11/u 50m backstroke, Vicky Adams and Harriet Higgins the girls’ 50m butterfly and breaststroke respectively and the girls’ team of Adams, Higgins, Victoria Joy and Christy Cole won both their relays.

Naomi Vides won the open and 15/u 100m breaststroke and contributed to relay wins with team-mates Fiona Hardie, Emma Wignall and Emma Baird in the 15/u 4x50m freestyle and Emily Freeman, Nicole Scott and Zoe Watson in the women’s medley.

Scott also won the women’s 100m butterfly.

n Beijing Olympians Liam Tancock and Tom Haffield are expected to turn out for Exeter and Cardiff respectively in the final.

Line-up: (in lane order) Exeter City, West Wilts Force 5, Ferndown Otters, Bournemouth Dolphins, Plymouth Leander, Millfield, City of Cardiff, Taunton Deane, SX3 (Swindon), Chard.