Champions Reed Start Key Weekend in Style
Top of the table Reed 1st Xl travelled to Dunstable on Saturday knowing that 10 League points would guarantee promotion and 13 League points would guarantee their being SHCL Division 2 Champions and return them to Division 1 of the Hertfordshire League.
Things began well for Reed when skipper James Heslam won the toss and immediately decided to bat as a score of 200 plus would produce 10 bonus points and secure promotion. However the wicket and new ball proved lively early on and with the score on only 13 Will Heslam departed spectacularly bowled for 9. However, the arrival of Tom Greaves to join James Heslam in the middle saw the pair take complete control of the game. Both batsmen played carefully but positively. Good balls were stoutly defended but anything loose was unceremoniously despatched to the boundary. On a scorching hot day without a cloud in the sky Reed proved too hot for the Dunstable bowlers.
Greaves proved particularly punishing early on and recorded a series of rasping boundary shots all around the wicket. The score moved past 150 without a single chance being given by either batsman but with a century looking assured Greaves fell LBW for 83 an innings containing 1 x 6, and 13 x 4’s. It didn’t get any e asier for Dunstable when the talented Chris Jackson strode out to the crease. In concert with skipper Heslam the pair took the score forward rapidly with Heslam being particularly severe on the bowlers. The 200 arrived without further loss and with it Reeds promotion was assured. James Heslam then passed 100 and raced to 119 before his 134 ball innings comprising 16 x 4’s came to an end. A late flurry of runs and wickets saw Reed to a declaration at 281 – 7 after only 51 overs and Chris Jackson still there at the end on 36 not out.
It was now up to Reeds bowlers to finish the job. “Red Bullet” Lee Johnson had Butiya LBW for 20 and then Jack Tidey trapped Boocock also LBW for 9. The Division 2 Championship was secured when Johnson bowled Carr for 2 leaving Dunstable in disarray at 38 – 3.
Pratt 18 and Cherry 23 staged a mini Dunstable revival but then the pair went in quick succession to leave the home team 80 – 5 and facing an impossible task in trying to beat Reed and improve their own 4th place League position. Tom Greaves now made his mark on the match with the ball and took 3 -31 whilst Mitchell Cooper chipped in with 2 – 37.
Dunstable slumped to 162 all out leaving Reed comfortable winners by 119 runs. The Reed team hurried from the pitch to quickly change and depart in their coach for their central London hotel to ready themselves for the following days National Village Cup Final at Lords.
Strike one – promotion and League Championship achieved. Next season will see Reed playing SHCL Division 1 fixtures against the likes of Hertford 1st Xl, St Albans 1st Xl, and Hitchin 1st Xl. Exciting times!
