Reed travelled to Barley on Sunday for what turned out to be a remarkable game of cricket, and one that will live long in the memory of all involved, especially young Sean Tidey. Richard Barlow was Reed’s stand in skipper for the day, with regular Sunday skipper Ed Blissett missing with a badly bruised a fingernail suffered the week before in the defeat to Cheshunt. Barlow lost the toss and was asked to bat on a blissful summers afternoon in the picturesque setting of Barley.
Barlow sent out youngster George Garrott to open the batting, alongside the out-of-form Tom Greaves. Greaves had been hoping for some time in the middle in order to re-ignite his flailing season, but his all to regular weakness to the short ball was apparent after just 3 deliveries as Greaves (3) could only glove a regulation pull shot to the grateful hands at 1st slip. Greaves has a lot to do to prove that he can rise to the challenge of Sunday 1st XI cricket. Garrott perished soon after for 5, and the in-form Matt Bowles was then caught in stunning fashion at extra cover, also for just 5, despite ‘middling the cover’ off of the ball. The only person who looked more shocked to see the ball stay in the fielders hands than Bowles, was the fielder himself, who will probably never take a catch like it again.
Truly remarkable. Once Ed Garrott (7) had missed a straight delivery, and Joel Walshingham (24) went, Reed looked to be in terrible strife on 107-5. However, if Barley thought they would be tucking into an early tea, they had another thing coming. Sean Tidey, at only 16 years old, set about rebuilding the Reed innings with his skipper Barlow. Tidey played superbly from ball one, punishing every bad ball, and skilfully dispatching most good balls too. Tidey’s barrage of runs came all around the wicket, and in conjunction with Barlow (57 Not Out) he not only steered Reed away from danger, but also into a commanding position.
Tidey had brought up his maiden century for Reed earlier on in the season against Elmdon where he scored 103. However he was to surpass that milestone against Barley, and continue onto 150, and then astonishingly, a final personal score of 201 Not Out. This is a remarkable feet for any batsmen, especially one so young. What is more, Tidey’s innings was made up of some excellent and ‘text book’ cricket shots. Tidey can be incredibly proud of himself, and is set for a big future at Reed.
Skipper Barlow also showed his maturity in guiding Tidey through the later latter stages of his ‘nervous 190’s’ and the pair formed a new Reed Sunday 1st XI 6th wicket partnership, with a tremendous 210 put on in little more than 20 overs. Reed eventually finished up on a daunting total of 317-5 in 40 Overs.
Barley’s reply to this mammoth score never really got going, as Reed’s hungry pace attack bowled an excellent line and length, with young Tom Walshingham particularly impressive. Despite Reed’s ‘tight lines’, wickets were not falling too regularly, and only an impressive, if slightly bizarre catch from Julien Fynn lifted spirits in the Reed camp. Their frustration at not taking wickets was compounded when the out of nick Mitchell Cooper dropped a regulation catch at midwicket off of the bowling of the ever more exasperated Greaves, desperate for a change of luck.
However, Barlow’s decision to bring on off-spinner Ed Garrott was to pay off as he ripped through the Barley middle order, taking 4 wickets to give Reed a sniff of victory. However, when some staunch defence from the hosts prevented any further wickets falling, Barlow had little option but to throw the ball to his ‘go-to’ bowler Matt Bowles for the last over, in the hope he could pull a rabbit out of the hat and take 2 wickets in the final over. Bowles was unable to rise to this challenge however, despite a strong shout for LBW, which left Reed with only a draw in this ‘time game’. Barley finished 117-8 in approximately 45 Overs. The result mattered not in the end though, with the real plaudits for the day though undoubtedly going to Sean Tidey for his magnificent double century.
