GOATACRE captain Brad Dawson is hoping that his side can take momentum from their National Village Cup triumph into their league campaign.

After two defeats, one win and Saturday’s rain cancellation, Goatacre are sitting third from bottom in Premier Two.

However, on Sunday they hosted Great Bedwyn looking to book their place in the Dorset and Wiltshire final.

After posting a score of 252-7, a score Dawson felt was slightly above par, Goatacre managed to sneak home by 28 runs after dismissing their visitors with two overs to spare.

“It got pretty close at the end,” admitted Dawson. “If they had managed to bat those final couple of overs it could have been a different story.”

Jack Haines and Ed Wilkins got the hosts off to a solid start after Dawson had won the toss and elected to bat.

The Goatacre opening pair put on 60 before Haines was dismissed for 37 before Chris Chapman fell to the first ball he faced.

A third-wicket partnership of 83 between Wilkins and Toby Horton got the hosts back on track when the former was caught and bowled by Ashley Perry for a 62-ball 53.

Horton continued and forged another good stand with Rob Murphy for the fifth wicket.

The Goatacre wicketkeeper was eventually dismissed for a 75-ball 79 having hit nine fours and a six as he helped the hosts to 228-5. Murphy went on to finish unbeaten on 38 as Dawson’s men closed on 252-7.

“It was still a pretty decent score and put them under some pressure to score at more than a run a ball,” said Dawson.

Great Bedwyn got off to a fine start to their reply as John Palmer and Richard Bosson fired the Marlborough-based outfit to 94-1, when Dawson dismissed the former.

Matthew House then quickly trapped Robert Palmer leg before for five as he went on to claim 4-24 from six overs and then Dawson sent Bosson’s stumps rocking.

However a blistering 46-ball 79 from Neil Maycock, which included six fours and six sixes, had the hosts sweating before House managed to dismiss last man Dennis Mare for a two-ball duck to leave Great Bedwyn 28 runs short.

Goatacre are now waiting to discover who they will now meet in the final with Parley and Shillingstone set to play their semi-final this weekend.

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