Reed youngster Thomas Fulk continued his outstanding batting form on Sunday, with another fifty following on from his century the previous week. The Sunday side travelled down to the capital to face strong opponents North Enfield.
Skipper Archer won the toss and chose to bowl first on a pitch which looked like it would suit his legion of seam bowlers. Allsopp and Archer bowled well getting plenty of movement and variable bounce off a pitch which offered a great deal of assistance to the opening quicks. The Enfield batsmen rode their luck with several close LBW appeals and more than the occasional edge which either failed to carry or sailed past the awaiting cordon of slips and close catchers. After 17 overs Watts (39) and Clark (18) had reached a less than fluent 50 stand, but the after the introduction of Collins and inparticular Haslam (4-22) the tide started slowly to turn in Reeds’ favour. Collins the wily old veteran tied up one end restricting the scoring opportunities, whilst Haslam’s inswing coupled with prodigious bounce soon had the N.E batsmen making the solitary journey from pavillion to crease and vice versa. The first change bowler’s spells over, Allsopp (2-27) reurned to devastating effect coupled with fiery young Marcus Martin (4-11) they restricted the middle and lower order to very few scoring possibilities while taking wickets at regular intervals. After 41 overs of toil for the home side their innings closed on 114 all out. Watts, Clark and exras the only participants who reached double figures. A miserly target on an increasingly more difficult surface, Archer entrusted the first phase of the run chase to Bowcock (24) and Fulk (50*). Enfields bowlers proceded to charge in, they had obviously learnt little from Reeds’ approach bowling far too short of a length in search of the unplayable delivery, they found the defence of the low tally slipping rapidly out of their grasp as the little and large pairing moved with ease past the fifty stand before Bowcock received a “guzunder” ball with the score on 77. Out of form Ed Blisset came and went before Andy Goodship joined Fulk to sail Reed home. Fulk closing the innings in spectacular style, with a huge six to collect his personal milestone and secure the victory by an impressive eight wickets. |
|