Reed Lift National Village Cup

After winning their Saracens Hertfordshire League Division 2 title with a win at Dunstable on Saturday Reed moved on to play at Lords Cricket Ground in the 2012 Final of the Yorkshire Tea National Village Cup against 4 times finalists, and twice winners, Woodhouse Grange CC from near York in North Yorkshire. No Hertfordshire side had previously won the coveted National Village Cup, which is organised by The Cricketer Magazine and has been keenly contested since 1972. 292 sides entered this years competition so competition had been intense with the reward of playing the Final at Lords complete with full Lords match facilities. After being dropped off by their coach from the hotel at the legendary Grace Gate entrance, Reed were awarded the privilege of occupying the “Home” Lords No 1 Changing Room, usually used by England in Test Matches and Middlesex for County matches. The weather was truly glorious, hot and sunny with not a cloud in the sky, as the newly commissioned Reed Club Flag was raised over their changing room and a sizeable crowd, which eventually swelled to almost 4,000, filtered into the ground for the 11.00am start. A brass band played behind the pavilion whilst the full range of Lords match facilities were operated - Big Screen TV, Electronic Scoreboard, and MC announcements by the regular Lords Test match announcer. The Reed side was unchanged from their semi-final, meaning that once again they fielded 10 ex Club Colts in their 11-man team, a truly remarkable proportion especially at the level that they now play, and in such a prestigious competition. Even the 12th man, 16 year old Tom Walsingham, was an ex Colt. The average age of the Reed side is [...]