Reed beat Foxton by eight wickets to reach the Semi-Finals of the National Village Cup, 2019 organised by The Cricketer Magazine. Electing to bat first on a pitch that had yielded 600 runs plus the previous day in a Cambs. League match, Foxton found it hard going as Reed’s opening bowling pair of Toby Fynn and Jack Tidey gave very little away. Fynn struck first bowling Hooley and when Tidey bowled Lawrence, the hosts were wobbling at 26 for 2. Enter former Reed player (and twice NVC winner) Will Heslam (83) who built successive partnerships of 66 with Cei Sanderson (28) and skipper Webster (42) to bring Foxton to 175 for 3, however the returning Fynn (ending with 5 for 34) and skipper Tom Greaves (3 for 43) bowled well in the last four overs as Foxton lost their last seven wickets for just 31 runs.
Reed set about their reply in quick fashion, they did lose Sean Tidey for 9, but Rob Lankester (73) joined Rich Wharton and they built a match winning 178-run partnership for the second wicket. Great placement around the wicket from both batsmen was helped by some erratic Foxton bowling. Lankester departed with only 11 more runs left to win and the only matter remaining was whether Wharton would reach his century. Sadly he ended three runs short on a nevertheless superb 97 not out, as Matt Sampson hit the winning boundary. Reed reached their target with 25 balls to spare.
Foxton 206 all out in 39.5 overs: Reed 210 for 2 in 35.5 overs.
Reed will now face Hampshire side Sarisbury Athletic on The Green in the Semi-Final on Sunday 4th August starting at 1300hrs.
Match Report submitted by Neil Haslam.
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Additional notes:
South-West Region. Sarisbry Athletic (Hampshire) 234 for 7 beat North Perrott (Somerset) 184 by 50 runs.
Midland Region. Astwood Bank (Worcs) 202 for 6 beat Milford Hall (Staffordshire) 103 for 9 by 99 runs.
North Region. Houghton Main (Yorkshire) 166 all out beat Egerton (Lancashire) 148 all out by 18 runs.
PGB
