Shenley hosted the 5th annual Dave Bowles Memorial Trophy on Sunday between Reed and UCA. The Blissful hot weather and lush playing fields set the day up for a great game of cricket, and after Reed captain Ben Bowles lost the toss, UCA chose to bat.

Reed’s youthful opening attack of Ian Green and Martin Tokely caused the UCA top order batsmen many problems. Both bowled an exceptional spell of quick seeming deliveries, that left the UCA batsmen struggling to make any kind of score. Green, a product of the highly successful Reed youth system, but playing his first match since u15’s made the breakthrough when he snared the wicket of one of the UCA openers, caught behind by the acrobatic stand in keeper Matt Bowles. The second of Green’s wickets came about after a stunning catch at cover by the Jonty esk James Foy. Green went on to take a further wicket, again after a Foy catch, leaving him with impressive figures of (7 / 0 / 3 / 29). Tokely at the other end also impressed, Bowling quickly and intelligently for a luckless, but brilliant spell which only cost 9 runs! (7 / 3 / 0 / 9) .

Skipper Bowles then decided to take the pace off of the ball, by introducing Trevor Saunders and M. Naeem. Both kept the runs down before Naeem was replaced by Reed icon Clive Collins, who in typical fashion took important wickets (2), whilst remaining very economical. By this point, with UCA reeling, Bowles snr felt it about time for some spin. Bringing himself on, Ben ‘madras’ Bowles produced a successful spell of off-spin bowling taking two wickets, one of which after younger brother Sam had held on to a difficult low catch at square leg. Bowles varied the flight and number of bounces, whist also bamboozling the UCA players with a few big rippers, keeping the batsmen on their toes. UCA finished on 154 for 7.

Reed’s openers of Foy (7) and M. Jackson (53*) started slowly, before Foy was dismissed. a mini collapse was than incurred by Reed’s youthful middle order, leaving them 15 for 3, before M. Naeem stepped up to the plate, and in tandem with the perfect timing of Jackson at the other end, Naeem steadied the ship and took Reed home swiftly and comfortably. Naeem hammered the UCA bowlers around the pitch, amassing a number of boundaries on his way to 78 not out, whilst Jackson reached his half century with an array of classy shots, with Reed getting home by 7 wickets.