Visitors Boxmoor totalled 246 for 6 largely thanks to their young opening batsman, Alex Dukes, who scored a wonderful 142. The talented, teenaged wicket-keeper / batsman passed 1000 runs for the season in this innings which was his third century of the year before Reed’s Jack Hart bowled him.
Hart added a second wicket to finish with 2 for 13. Joe Graves claimed one wicket near the end but at one point earlier on, Boxmoor were in relative difficulty at 38 for 3 after Ben Walker, Neil Haslam and Greg Marshall had each taken a wicket. In fact Haslam had figures of 1 for 6.
In reply, with only three players older than 16, Reed opened with the Under 15’s Captain, Tom Walsingham, and Richie Barlow, and although the former set-off confidently, he was caught off a drive to extra cover for 14 and Reed were soon in trouble at 30 for 3.
Chris Marshall then buckled down to his longest innings to date and contributed 32 to the 104 runs scored whilst he was at the wicket. More wickets had fallen at the opposite end until skipper, Peter Baker, batting at number 7, started aggressively and blasted 75 taking Reed from 56 for 5 to 168 for 7 in less than 20 overs. By this time, Jack Hart was in and he looked unfazed by the Boxmoor bowlers until Dukes, (no longer keeping wicket), returned the compliment and had him LBW for 17.
Now with no chance of victory, it provided the opportunity for Joe Graves to have some fun as he scored a quick fire 17 not out which included 4 fours. This brought Reed up to a respectable 202 for 9 in their 40 overs as the sun set over the village green on another summery Sunday evening.
