Reed lost the toss and were put into bat by Preston in last
Saturday’s league game and came back from the dead. Reed got off to a
flying start punishing anything loose. Jamie Warren was in
particularly good form. He and Baz Curtis put on 49 for the first
wicket before Curtis was dismissed for 22. Warren looked set for his
first 50 of the season before he was removed for a fine 42. He
smashed 3 4s and 1 huge six in that 42.
At 71 for 2 Reed looked set for a big total, but Preston brought
on there spinners and the run rate slowed. Simon Roberts was
dismissed 12 and Peter Morley was superbly stumped for 17. This meant
Reed were 103-4 and as the Reed batsman tried to push on wickets
started to fall. 103-4 quickly became 107-6 and Reed were in big
trouble. Mark Peart looked set for a decent score before he too was
stumped. After that only Martin Seale reached double figures and Reed
were finally dismissed for just 141. This also meant that Preston
would have 52 overs in which to get the runs.
Reed’s opening bowlers both bowled marathon spells in very humid
conditions. Martin Seale got a lot of movement off the seam and along
with Peter Tidey restricted the home sides normally aggressive
batting. Seale soon had both openers back in the pavilion and with
Tidey also picking up 2 wickets Preston were 44-4, but the favourites
to win. Curtis then picked up a good slip catch after it deflected of
the keeper and Reed getting the upper hand. Tidey then ripped out the
Preston tail and with Robertson picking up 2 wickets after removing
Seale Reed just needed 1 wicket for victory. Seale took 2-42 from 16
over and Robertson 2-14 from 6 overs. Even then Preston only needed
35 to win with 6 overs still to go, but Tidey in his 22nd over forced
Fleckney into a mistake and was well caught at slip too and Reed had
won a game they should never have won. Tidey ended up taking 6-40 in
22.1 overs.
