Dear Clubs, It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 42nd National Village Cup, sponsored by Davidstow Cheddar. This year is set to be bigger and better, and that is thanks to you. At a time when many clubs struggle to raise multiple sides over a weekend, your continued support of the Cup and its once-in-a-lifetime prize of playing at the Home of Cricket ensure it grows year-on-year. No other amateur cricket competition possesses such heritage, with even the smallest of teams able to win their way to the Lord’s final. In 2014, we are embracing the digital age and bringing this traditional annual event up-to-date, starting with the live draw this Friday (7th February) at 11am on our Twitter account @thecricketermag. Make sure your club’s feed, along with players’ own accounts, are following us to catch all the action, and use the hashtag #NVC. You can then immediately access the full fixture list on our website. I wish you all the very best for the forthcoming season. Kind Regards, Francis Kelly