PARLEY are just four games from Lord’s after they shocked Wiltshire outfit Goatacre in a nail-biting National Village Cup clash yesterday.

The Dorset side, who are playing in the competition for the first time this year, triumphed over their visitors by 19 runs in the Group 20 final at West Parley.

It was an impressive victory for the hosts against opposition that possess enviable pedigree in the competition, having lost just one of their previous 14 group finals.

All but one of the Parley side was 23 or under with four of the XI being under-16 age group players, proving age was no barrier.

Captain Sam Collins told the Daily Echo: “Goatacre are a good side so for such a young team to beat them took a great performance.

“It’s our first year in the competition so we’re trying to make an impression and it was a brilliant day.

“George Wilson and Jamie Hicks got us to a competitive total and then we bowled as well as I’ve ever seen us bowl.

“I only started to believe we could do it with 15 or 20 overs left and the last 10 overs were very interesting to say the least, because they were in it the whole way.

“But it turned out to be a great win for us.”

Parley, who host Oxfordshire side Great and Little Tew in the next round on Sunday, June 22, made a slow start to proceedings.

They were five for two early on but useful runs from Roshan Embalagama (31) and Ollie Green (24) helped them along.

Tailenders Wilson (34*) and Jamie Hicks (12*) got the hosts to 153-9 after 40 overs, with Brad Dawson taking four for 18.

Goatacre lost two wickets to the pacy Tom Blackley in the first 15 overs but remained on target until Green and 16-year-old Dom Clutterbuck bowled a superb mid-innings spell.

Hicks and Green claimed lower- order wickets and Goatacre’s required run rate steadily increased, the away side eventually falling short on 134-9 off their 40 overs.

For Parley, Green took three for 13, Hicks three for 24 and Blackley two for 39.