Foxton

Sunday 1st July saw Herts & Beds Champions Reed travel to Foxton for their last 32, first inter-county round, of the Yorkshire Tea National Village Cup against Cambridgeshire & Norfolk Champions, and local rivals, Foxton. Reed fielded a team comprising 10 ex colts players brought through from the Clubs long established youth cricket academy. On a fine though blustery afternoon the Foxton wicket and ground were in tip-top condition and the picturesque setting did full justice to the traditional image of English Village Cricket.

Winning the toss Reed skipper James Heslam asked the home team to bat first but Foxton started aggressively with the dangerous looking Gareth Roots hammering 14 in the first two overs. However he went in the 4th over LBW to Jack Tidey and the game settled into a more steady tempo. Max Bowen and Laurence Farnum took Foxton to 48 – 1 after 10 overs with Farnum in particular looking untroubled and most runs coming in boundaries or singles with the outfield riding very fast and a shortish boundary on one side. Lee Johnson (9 Overs 1 -33) and Jack Tidey (9 Overs 1 – 37) settled into a good rhythm and bowled very tidily, whilst very sharp Reed ground fielding restricted the Foxton run scoring opportunities.

Off the last ball of the 14th Over Bowen was run out for 19 and then a mini Foxton collapse saw them slip to 82 – 4 at the 20 Over mark. Farnum however remained at the crease looking solid and moved to 49 before he miscued a drive and was well caught by a diving James Heslam at deep mid off. Another quick wicket saw Foxton slump to 116 – 6 off 28 Overs but with Reed sensing a low Foxton total on the cards Ian Cambridge arrived at the crease with other ideas. A majestic innings of 47 including 8 fours and a six put Foxton back on track and in company with Tyler Deas 15, and then Tom Stone, Foxton started to put the Reed bowlers to the sword. Fortunately for Reed Kallum Ward (2 -39) bowled Cambridge in the 35th over but 68 had come in only 7 overs and it did not stop there! The last 5 overs went for another 48 runs as Stone 40* and Mark Ferrari 30* thrashed the now ragged Reed bowling to all parts of the ground. Foxton put on 106 in the last 10 overs and ended their 40 overs on 232 -7 with the unfortunate Mitchell Cooper (9 Overs 1 -72) receiving the most punishment and Reed having conceded 12 extra balls in Wides and No Balls. The substantial crowd watching the match paused to draw breath and both teams retired to enjoy an excellent tea with Foxton having totalled a substantial 232 – 7 from their allotted 40 overs.

Reed made a batting order switch in their quest to chase down the demanding total but this mis-fired when the hero of their last round win, Tom Greaves, went for 0 in the first over. However, this setback merely seemed to motivate fellow opener, skipper James Heslam, who launched a savage onslaught on the Foxton opening bowlers. Wicket taker Gray went for 36 in 5 overs and fellow opener Deas was blasted out of the attack after conceding 29 in 3 overs. In a dramatic and impressive innings of powerful strokeplay Heslam struck 14 fours as he raced to a personal 64 of Reeds 76-1 scored in only 10 Overs. However, a calling mix up with partner Chris Jackson off the 1st ball of the 11th over saw Heslam run out by virtually the length of the pitch. With a tremendous start to their demanding run chase in the bank Reed were well placed to progress, but the Foxton bowling tightened up significantly with Ferrari (9 Overs 0-36) and Stone (9 Overs 3-40) putting the brakes on.

For Reed Chris Jackson settled into a measured and chanceless innings but with Will Heslam 13, Mitchell Cooper 8, and Sean Tidey 7, all coming and going before the halfway mark the match was in the balance with Reed 117-5 at 20 overs. Jackson continued his steady progress and joined by the powerful Jack Tidey (batting with a runner) the pair put on 53 for the 5th wicket before Tidey fell caught for 21. Karl Ward then entered the arena and kept the scoreboard ticking with excellent running between the wickets mixed with 4 powerful boundaries whilst Jackson passed his 50. Reed reached 217 for 6 after 36 overs and seemed to be cruising to victory but Foxton’s young seamer Chris Pepper (5 Overs 3 -32) had other ideas. In the 37th over, after conceding a boundary 1st ball, he removed Karl Ward bowled and 2 balls later also bowled Phil Frenay for a duck. Reed were now 8 down and the home crowd contingent roared back into life as they sensed a late victory surge. However, their hopes were short lived as Reeds No 10 Kallum Ward struck his first ball for 4 and eased the Reed nerves a fraction. Needing 8 to win off the final 3 overs Reed achieved 9 runs in the 38th over, Ward striking a boundary to win the match and finish on 8* whilst Chris Jackson having managed the Reed innings to the victory line was unbeaten on a chanceless 67*.

The large crowd applauded both teams from the field after a magnificent game of Cricket that ebbed and flowed both ways. The match had been played in a competitive though sporting spirit, and undertaken in a delightful setting. Everyone then retired to the adjacent White Horse for suitable refreshment!! A testament to English Village Cricket at it’s best!