Mill Hill Village Cricket Club have been handed a tough draw in the opening round of the national village cup.

This week, we were among 26 first-time entrants to discover our opponents in this year’s Cawston Press Village Cup.

We will welcome triple village cup winners Reed CC to Burtonhole Lane on Sunday, April 26, in round one of the national competition in the Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire group.

The club encourages members and supporters to turn up on the day and support our side in this prestigious competition.

Reed, based near Royston in Hertfordshire,  previously won the competition in 2012, 2017 and 2019.

The winner plays St Margaretsbury CC, based in Stanstead Abbotts, Herts., at home on Sunday, May 10 in round two.

Sam Smith Q&A: Why I entered MHVCC into the national village cup

"This is a great opportunity to pit ourselves against some of the best village teams in Hertfordshire and beyond," MHVCC Club Chairman Sam Smith previously said.

The competition, which the Cricketer magazine administers, concludes with the final at Lord’s on Sunday, September 6.

Cawston Press Village Cup round one draw, Beds & Herts group

Sam was interviewed about the competition as part of a two-page feature in the February issue of the Cricketer.

The draw, which was carried out by staff from the Cricketer and representatives of both Cawston Press and the Ruth Strauss Foundation in the Writing Room at Lord’s, involved 403 teams across 32 regions. It’s the world’s biggest amateur competition of its kind.

A full list of fixtures can be found here.

Last season, Foxton beat Cheshire club Stayley by 145 runs at Lord’s to secure their second consecutive village cup title.