Reed Ist XI travelled to Elmdon on Sunday June 13th to play a 40 overs a-side friendly match. Elmdon won the toss and on a pitch that had been enlivened by recent rain, put Reed into bat. Tom Greaves and Fergus Martin opened for Reed and were quickly into their stride. Greaves in particular played a large number of shots, and inside nine overs the pair had raised their 50 partnership. At 63 Greaves innings of 37 came to a conclusion, when he was caught at extra cover, off the bowling of Rock. Karl Ward then joined Martin, but he was quickly dismissed by Reeves, caught at backward point, for 0. Ward’s dismissal brought the Reed skipper Ed Blissett to the crease. Blissett, on the back of an undefeated 50 in his previous innings, was soon driving of the off-spinner Gale back over his head for 4 and then powerfully pulling Rock for another boundary.
Unfortunately for Reed, they now lost Martin, for a well constructed 37, when he surprisingly clipped an innocuous full toss into the hands of square leg. Blissett was now in partnership with Jack Tidey, and the Reed Captain continued to play the Elmdon attack with relative ease, picking up boundaries as Tidey sought to settle in. However when the score had reached 104, Blissett, playing well forward to the bowling of Badcock was, to his obvious astonishment and dismay, inexplicably adjudged LBW for 24. His response was unsurprising as the ball would clearly have missed his leg stump. Reed’s problems were compounded soon after, when Tidey was dismissed for 2, leaving their total at 109 for 5. The fall of the 5th wicket brought together the young pairing of Sean Tidey and Mitchell Cooper.
Both batsmen established themselves, with Cooper playing compactly and correctly whilst Tidey displayed a wide range of shots. Their partnership quickly grew, as Tidey, in particular, drove powerfully whilst also mercilessly cutting the short ball to the off-side boundary. Tidey raced past 50 and both he and Cooper now took full toll of some poor bowling by an Elmdon attack which had wilted under the batsmen’s onslaught. By the last over Tidey needed a handful of runs to reach his century and, with a lusty blow to long on for 4, he accomplished the feat. Tidey ended the innings 103 not out, whilst Cooper made a creditable 36. Reed’s overall total was an impressive 257.
Jack Tidey and Rupert Martin opened the bowling for Reed after tea, and Martin quickly had Elmdon in difficulty, dismissing Gale for 0 and the Badcock for 4. Tidey then joined in, clean bowling Mellick for 0. Turner launched a counter attack, playing some powerful shots, but he was soon to lose his partner Adams clean bowled for 0, by Martin. This left the Elmdon innings in disarray, but Reeves now joined Turner and they set about rebuilding the innings. Although the Reed Captain Blissett, having played Cambridgeshire Premier League cricket with Reeves, set his field to cut off Reeves’ favourite shots, the Elmdon batsman played well, skilfully placing the ball into the gaps.
His partner Turner, having given two sharp chances which were spurned, now passed his 50. Shortly thereafter, when he had reached 58, Turner attempted one ambitious on-drive too many and was well caught by Ward at deep midwicket, off the bowling of Greaves. This brought A. Gale to the middle and he and Reeves were soon accelerating the scoring rate. Reeves reached his 50 and Gale stated to strike the ball well, and although they were behind the run rate, the score climbed rapidly. Concerned at the progress the Elmdon batsmen were making Blissett brought back one of his two quicker bowlers, Cooper, well before the innings’ closing overs. The gamble paid off, as the run rate slowed and, in trying to increase the scoring, Reeves was dismissed, by Ward, for 72. Tidey now returned and bowled well, ending with figures of 2 for 14 of 8 overs. Gale, continued to attempt to hit the ball powerfully, but his efforts proved futile, as he ran out of both overs and partners. At the close of Elmdon’s 40 over innings, they had scored 245 for 9, giving Reed a victory by 12 runs.
