Mitchell Cooper’s half-century sees Reed claim final berth

The two-time champions beat Sarisbury Athletic to return to Lord’s

An unbeaten half-century from Mitchell Cooper saw Reed progress to The Cricketer Village Cup final after a five-wicket win over Sarisbury Athletic.

The Reed no.7’s 52, alongside Stuart Smith’s unbeaten 43, ensured they recovered from 104 for 5 to chase down 196 with no additional dismissals and with more than over to spare.

Sarisbury’s Ricky Rawlins scored 63 as the Hampshire side posted 195 for 8 from their 40 overs, but Sean Tidey’s 4-45 ensured the eventual finalists took wickets at crucial stages.

Reed will now face Houghton Main at Lord’s on Sunday, September 15.

It was Sarisbury who won the toss and chose to bat first, and at one stage appeared to be set for a score in excess of 200 with skipper Rawlins anchoring the innings and Matthew Journeaux providing some valuable assistance.

However, with the score on 135 for 3 the game changed as Tidey was reintroduced into the attack and removed Journeaux after Tom Greaves had trapped Rawlins leg before.

Tidey then brought about further success for Reed as the two stumpings of Daniel Clouting and Tom Kitcher from Robert Lankester in as many overs really swung the game back in their favour.

Having delivered an excellent performance with the ball, Tidey failed to repeat his heroics with bat in hand as he was dismissed for a third-ball duck with the score on just five.

Lankester and Greaves then put on a 81-run partnership before the former was run out for 41 following a mix up between the two.

James Heslam fell soon after before Greaves fell three short of his half-century when he was dismissed by Josh Hill, with Clouting taking the catch.

Michael Catt’s wicket soon after meant Reed had lost half their side with 92 runs still required, but it also brought Cooper to the crease alongside Smith.

The duo set about rebuilding the innings and setting their side up from a position where they could try to win the game through hard running and striking the ball well when required.

A situation of needing 72 runs from 10 overs became 42 runs from 30 balls, before Smith and Cooper cut loose.

Their principal victim was Hill, who despite having taken two wickets in the innings was taken for 19 runs in the match-turning 37th over.

That prolific over saw Reed require just six runs from the last two overs, and those runs duly came from the bat of Cooper who hit the winning six which not only brought up his fifty but also confirmed his side’s passage to the final against Yorkshire’s Houghton Main and sparked huge celebrations from their players.

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