National Village Cup 2012 winners Reed moved a step closer to a repeat visit to Lord’s with a 29-run away victory over Suffolk area champions Worlington on Sunday.

The result means Reed are into the last eight of the competition, just two wins away from the final at the home of cricket. Their next challenge is on July 20 when they play the South of England area winners at Reed.

A return trip to Lord’s is a tantilising prospect and the visitors showed their determination to walk on the hallowed turf once again by, after being put into bat, shocking Worlington with their batting prowess on a damp wicket.

They lost Will Heslam early with the score on 10 but skipper James Heslam and Tom Greaves settled the innings down and seemed destined to establish a large partnership before the latter fell LBW for 21.

Stuart Smith joined his captain and the pair accelerated the scoring rate, surpassing the 100 mark in the 19th over. The pairing was broken when Heslam (45) misjudged a pull and was caught.

The in-form Sean Tidey then came to the crease and played a series of powerful shots that upped the run-rate even further. Smith had batted with authority but at 143–4 he fell for 37.

Marcus Martin registered just seven before making way for Jack Tidey to join his brother Sean. The siblings set about a violent and effective partnership of 46. Jack perished caught for 26 off 17 balls but Sean, who had by now passed his 50, established another fast scoring partnership with left handed Kallum Ward.

The fielders on the short Worlington boundary could only stand and stare as ball after ball was struck towards and over them. Sean Tidey went for 64 with the Reed score on 263-7 but Ward continued the mayhem before falling for a 20-ball 41.

Mitchell Cooper struck a lusty 19 before the Reed innings closed on a mammoth 292-9 from their allotted 40 Overs.

In reply, Worlington’s heroes of the last round Chris Baugh and Richard Ford got the home team off to a solid start.

At 60-0 after 10 overs the pair had established a firm foundation for a solid reply. However, within four overs both had been dismissed for 34 and 27 respectively, both caught off the bowling of Jack Tidey (3-39), who then removed the number three.

Worlington came back fighting and attacked to the remaining Reed bowlers. Their aggression coincided with a rare lapse in the usually exemplary Reed fielding as five catches went down. Skipper Heslam, however, led by example and pouched three catches which, together with two run-outs, reduced Worlington to 200-6 after 33 overs.

A final onslaught, led by Adam Gallop (49), saw them get rather closer to the target but Will Hesham caught the danger-man in the deep and the innings ended soon after.