Reed overcame Sussex-based Mayfield in the last 16 of the National Village Cup on Sunday to book themselves a place in the Quarter-Finals, and carry on the dream of replicating their Lord’s success of 2012.

In warm conditions and in front of a healthy crowd on ‘the Green’, Reed skipper Tom Greaves won the toss and asked the visitors to bat on a track that had seen over 500 runs scored on it the day before. Toby Fynn (5-1-13-2) and Jack Tidey (5-0-27-0) opened the bowling for Reed and it was Fynn who made crucial early breakthroughs, having both Tagg and Sharma caught behind by Sean Tidey to leave Mayfield in early trouble on 17-2. However a sensible knock by opener Chaplin (47), who was supported by Skinner (24) steadied the ship for the away team.

Reed then took pace off of the ball with the introduction of spinners Tom Greaves (8-1-27-1) and Sean Tidey (7-2-23-3) as well as medium-pacers Karl Ward (8-1-29-1) and Mitchell Cooper (7-0-41-1) and this did the trick as Mayfiled lost both set batsmen and began to stutter. Only a knock of 52 from Hyne late-on really looked to take the game away from Reed, but good, tight fielding to back up the excellent bowlers meant Mayfield finished on what seemed a below par 166-8.

However, as with the first innings, the batsmen didn’t find scoring easy up front and Reed were soon wobbling on 45-3 as James Heslam (5) was bowled by Sharma, and both Rob Lankester (8) and Chris Jackson (4) were adjudged LBW. Will Heslam (29) had looked in fine form, but when he also departed, soon followed by Smith (13) Reed were 88-5. Tom Greaves (33) looked in good order as he began to steady the ship for Reed alongside Sean Tidey (13), but a good bumper from Sharma did for Greaves as he was caught behind after some good team work in the cordon. When Tidey then fell to the same bowler, it looked like curtains for the hosts at 122-7

Enter Mitch Cooper and Karl Ward. The pair took the attack to Mayfield and mixed careful defence with some fearsome ball striking. Cooper in particular looked in brutal form as he found maximums twice in an over. They took Reed to level score with Mayfield with 4 overs to spare, when Ward was well caught for 21. Undeterred, Cooper (33 Not Out) remained composed to hit the winning runs, as he did at Lord’s in the 2012 final, to give Reed a two-wicket victory, setting up a quarter-final with Bledlow Village in Buckinghamshire in two weeks time.

Report submitted by Matthew Bowles.