Reed travelled to newly promoted Abbots Langley on Saturday looking to continue their good run of form. Missing a couple of keys players, Reed skipper James Heslam arrived at the ground to find the track had been uncovered, and the heavy overnight rain had left the pitch wet and sticky. With the forecast set to be warm and sunny, Reed won the toss and elected to bowl, looking to make good use of the conditions. However, the Reed openers struggled with their run-ups under the conditions and bowled loosely, making life too easy for the Abbots Langley openers.
Some frequent bowling changes failed to turn the tide, and Reed continued to offer the home team an easy ride with too many run scoring balls being delivered. Inglis was the pick of the Abbots Langley batsman, hitting an impressive 94, but all could have been different if Reed had taken two early chances to dismiss the Australian. Runs continued at a steady pace, and a splutter of wickets in the latter overs saw the run rate slip slightly, leaving the home side setting a challenging target of 246 for the loss of 5 wickets.
With just 44 overs to chase down 246, Reed needed to set the tempo early on. However their poor day continued, losing early wickets cheaply whilst looking to chase the total. The Abbots Langley openers bowled in the right areas, and made good use of the new ball and the drying track. The Reed batsman, like their bowlers , failed to turn up and rise to the occasion. Wickets tumbled quickly and cheaply, with only Sean Tidey making a short cameo of clean hitting. Reed lost their final wicket with the score on 93, ending a performance way below the high standards set in their previous nine matches.
Abbotts Langley Score Card
