Abberton Cricket Club will attempt to make a little bit of history on Sunday in the last 16 of the National Village Cricket Championship.

The club, who are the last representatives from Essex and Suffolk left in the contest, have never progressed further than this stage.

They reached the last 16 once before, back in the late 80s, and now are hoping to go one step further when they face Eversholt.

A whole coachload of players and supporters from Abberton are set to descend on the Buckinghamshire village of Eversholt, who beat Essex village champions Orsett in the last round.

Abberton's Barry Rudlin said: "I think it's going to be a good occasion - we will be making a day of it and getting everybody involved. We've got a home draw in the next round so hopefully we will win and come back to that."

The team - who play in both the Jaygate Two Counties and Osborne Leagues - will be hoping that opener Jonathan Ward, who scored 78 not out in the last round against Dinton, is in good form.

Much of the bowling emphasis will be on strike bowlers Mike Booker, Richard Dixey and Chris Coe.

And the team includes three survivors from the last time the club appeared in the last 16 - Simon Swinn, Peter Brown and Rudlin.

Earlier in the competition Abberton defeated, among others, Audley End and Tattingstone.

To make the last 16 is a great achievement - more than 600 teams entered originally.

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