Hill and Floyd in a hurry as Sarisbury storm into the national stages of the Village Cup

Josh Hill batting during the Hampshire final of the National Village Cup between Sarisbury Athletic and Easton and Martyr Worthy at Allotment Road. Picture: Neil Marshall.

Hill smashed 40 of his unbeaten 64 in boundaries – two maximums and nine fours – after Floyd had got Sarisbury’s modest target chase off to a flier with seven fours in his 31.

Sarisbury chased down Easton’s 113 all out inside 19 overs to clinch a difficult away day at Maidenhead-based Cookham Dean – last year’s Thames Valley League champions – this Sunday.

Victory would take Sarisbury, competing in the tournament for only the second time, into the last 16.

Tom Kitcher, left, gives the thumbs up after taking an Easton and Martyr Worthy wicket. Picture: Neil Marshall.

Easton & Martyr Worthy, who play three runs lower than their Southern League opponents in the Hampshire pyramid, struggled against the Sarisbury bowlers, with teenager Casper Byers (31) top scoring.

Left-arm spinner Sam Hill (3-19) and Tom Kitcher (3-18) shared six of the wickets.

Sarisbury lost wicketkeeper Tom Mills for a duck, but once Floyd launched his ruthless 23-ball assault on the Easton attack the outcome was never in any doubt.

Ethan Brackstone (2-13) took two wickets and Will Wickham clung onto three catches behind the stumps.

Sarisbury batsman Jake Lovett scores runs against Easton and Martyr Worthy. Picture: Neil Marshall.

But Josh Hill has been in sparkling form and his unbeaten 64, scored off 46 balls, got Sarisbury home with 20 overs or more to spare.

It was Hill’s fourth score of 50 or more in a row, following his 112 (v Burridge) and 63 (v Hampshire Academy) in the Southern Premier League East cup group and 65 against Bramshaw in the Village Cup.

Sarisbury reached the semi-finals of the Village Cup last season at the first attempt, after the rules had been changed to allow any place with a population of under 10,000 to take part.

They are aiming to become the third Hampshire club to win the tournament after Longparish in 1987 and Hursley Park five years later.

Ben Stanbrook is bowled by Sarisbury's Phil Jewell during the Hampshire final of the National Village Cup. Picture: Neil Marshall.

Rowledge, right on the Surrey/Hampshire border, reached the final in 1985 only to lose to Scottish side Freuchie on the fewer wickets lost rule, the scores having ended level.

Sarisbury’s Southern Premier League rivals Liphook & Ripsley are also through to the last 32 after an easy six-wicket win over Findon – teenage left-arm spinner Oscar Amis taking 6-21 as the West Sussex side were bowled out for 84.

Liphook, beaten Lord’s finalists in 2018, are drawn away to Slough-based Stoke Green on Sunday.