The Reed Sunday XI tasted defeat for the first time since late June at the weekend, but skipper Archer gained solace from the fact that major contributions from two Reed starlets were major factors in the defeat.

Opponents Thurrock & Thames drafted in Reed first teamers Stuart Smith & James Heslam to bolster their 9 man squad on arrival at The Green. Winning the toss and deciding to bat the visitors made an inauspicious start to their innings losing Clark in the first over to Allsopp (1-48). This early success only brought captain Scott Poskitt to the wicket and he along with Smith proceeded to take apart Reed’s openers Allsopp and Roberts, forming a century partnership in rapid time before Archer (3-42) brought himself on to end the party, bowling Poskitt for 54.

This brought Heslam to the wicket and not for the first time this season he was undone by poor shot selection attempting a “big” shot against an Archer delivery which he found just a bit too quick. Smith was never in any bother hardly ever playing across the line of the ball he stroked his way to a text book 86, before again he was outdone by the raw speed of Archer. With Clive Collins’ cunning flight and guile slowing down the run rate at the Village End, Reed hoped to contain T&T to a “getable” target, but Hathaway had other ideas as he creamed a rapid 48 to see the innings to a close with the score a mammoth 252-6 off the allotted 40 overs.

With such a huge target to chase Reed opened with big hitting Roger Bowcock and class act Tom Fulk. Fulk started well but Bowcock’s touch deserted him as he was dismissed for a paltry 5. Ed Blisset came to the wicket out of touch, but in a brief cameo showed glimpses of form from a bygone age before he became the second man out for 24 with score on 84. Andy Goodship soon followed with the T&T bowlers tightening the noose, coupled with the fielding of Heslam in particular who denied his erstwhile team mates between 20-30 runs in the field with a dazzling fielding display. Heslam’s fielding was a cause in effect of Reed’s next dismissal Masseh Naeem after a four filled 23 was run out taking a suicide run to try to relieve some of the pressure. He picked out Smith who completely out of character picked up the ball on the run before unleashing it at tremendous velocity into the keeper’s gloves. Fulk (64) was soon to follow out for his customary Sunday half century. Only Richard Barlow (38) and a 10 ball 25 including 2 huge sixes from Jim Allsop made any further in roads into the total as Reed’s chase ended 21 runs short at the end of a most enjoyable game of cricket.