And then there were two.
Kent Spitfires and Lancashire will contest the second Royal London Cup final at our historic home, looking to succeed Glamorgan as champions of the domestic 50-over tournament.
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Both sides progressed from group two, albeit taking different routes to the knockout stages.
The Red Rose always seemed destined to secure a qualifying berth having stormed out of the blocks to win their first three matches.
Kent, on the other hand, required a late rally to reach the knockout stages, and enter the showpiece event on a five-game winning run.
Along the way, a handful of players have spearheaded their respective sides to the cusp of glory.
Spin v pace: Hamidullah Qadri v Liam Hurt
Flight and guile versus pace and bounce.
The respective leading wicket-takers for each side go about claiming their victims in different manners.
With scores regularly in excess of 300 across the group stages, spin bowling in the middle of August on pristine batting surfaces isn’t for the faint hearted.
Step forward Hamidullah Qadri. The off-spinner, still only 21, belied his relative inexperience to top the charts for the Spitfires.
His star turn came just as Kent required a victory to ignite their hopes of knockout qualification, with figures of 4/36 from his allotment restricting Northamptonshire to a more than chaseable total.
In all, the off-spinner has taken 14 wickets across his nine matches, at an average of 32.5 and a respectable economy of under six.
In the red corner, meanwhile, stands Liam Hurt; a man who Hurt went from strength to strength once given his opportunity in the side.
A return of 3/24 from ten overs ripped the heart out of the Hampshire line up in a South Coast group-stage clash, but wasn’t enough to see his side over the line.
Come the semi-finals, however, an even more important analysis of 3/43 handed Lancashire the 65-run victory they required to reach Trent Bridge.
Top-order titans: Ollie Robinson v Keaton Jennings
Runs are the currency of our summer sport, and both finalists have top-order batters who have thrived in recent weeks.
As his namesake, and birthday twin, returned to the England Test fold, the Spitfires’ Ollie Robinson was determined to ensure his exploits wouldn't go unnoticed.
Whilst others around him tiptoed into the waters of the Royal London Cup, Robinson waded in with the armbands firmly off.
206 unbeaten runs from just 131 deliveries, with six maximums and 27 fours, was Robinson's record at the conclusion of his side's innings.
Two further half-centuries would follow before he sparked to life again in the semi-final, an 89-ball 95 laying the foundations for a nervy three-wicket triumph.
Meanwhile, there’s never been any doubt about Keaton Jennings’ run-scoring capabilities.
The opener may not have been able to replicate his astonishing triple-hundred at Southport in June, but he came into his own with match-winning knocks against Glamorgan and Northamptonshire, the latter aiding a Red Rose chase of in excess of 370.
As the sides descend on the free-scoring Trent Bridge next weekend, both will be relishing the chance to add to their totals and secure the coveted List A trophy.
The old timers: Darren Stevens v Steven Croft
While the Royal London Cup has provided ample opportunity for the next generation to shine, a pair of county stalwarts have proven crucial for the competition's finalists.
The final could yet prove to be the swansong of Darren Stevens' storied career, after Kent announced they would be releasing the 46-year-old at the end of the campaign – although the all-rounder has raged successfully against the dying of the light before, of course, by earning a new Kent contract in 2019 at the age of 43.
This summer, a calf injury threatened to finish his career on a sour note, but he returned to the Spitfires fold to produce three match-defining knocks.
A 41-ball 49 against final opponents Lancashire helped Kent to a narrow two-wicket victory, whilst a 24-ball 41 propelled the Spitfires to an unassailable 325-8 versus Leicestershire.
He saved the best for last, however, striking an unbeaten 84 from just 65 deliveries in the semi-final as social media once again reacted with euphoria.
37-year-old Steven Croft, meanwhile, fulfils a similar role for the Red Rose.
Another man for the big occasion, Croft’s finest performance came against the Outlaws in the play-offs at Blackpool.
Each and every member of the Notts attack was thwarted, the 37-year-old ended unbeaten on 115 as the semi-finals beckoned.
Never far away from the action throughout Lancashire’s tilt at glory, Croft also dismissed his Kent counterpart Stevens during the group stages.
For all those earlier efforts, however, it is performances in finals which live longest in the memory.
To the player who steps forward to claim the opportunity this Saturday, a space in cricketing history awaits.
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The Royal London Cup Final
The timeless pomp, ceremony and tradition of county cricket's historic 50-over final is soon to take place at Trent Bridge.
Lancashire and Kent will go head-to-head in the showpiece finale of the Royal London Cup at our historic home on Saturday 17 September.