Reed I’s travelled for a high profile fixture away to Hoddesdon I’s on Sunday, on what turned out to be a glorious day. With England gaining control of the Ashes at the Oval, Reed skipper Marcus Martin won the toss and elected to bat on what looked a belting track. Opening batsmen Tom Greaves and Fergus Martin soon took advantage of the lightening quick outfield, with Greaves in particular getting off to a flyer. The tubby all-rounder (or “fat slogger” as he was referred to on a number of occasions) dispatched the first ball of the innings over the midwicket boundary for a pull shot six, and followed this up by hitting a glorious straight six over the sightscreen off the first ball of the second over.
Greaves was in no mood for messing about, as he seemingly dispatched nearly every ball he faced for a boundary, even taking one hapless bowler for 24 in an over, all of which were 4s! Greaves’ half century came up in 21 deliveries, despite him looking nervous on 49, playing out 4 dots. Greaves made a stunning 65 off of 31 balls before he went for one big hit too many, falling after a woeful swish across the line, to be bowled. By this point Fergus Martin had already departed, caught behind for a well made 24, as Reed raced towards 3 figures.
Stuart Smith also made 26 in fairly rapid fashion, before he was caught in the covers, as the game continued at break neck pace. Numbers 4 and 5 batsmen, Phil Frenay and Richard Barlow then carried on where Martin and Greaves had left off. Frenay looked imperious as he struck the ball cleanly down the ground to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Barlow was also looking in fine form, continuing his recent run of scoring. Frenay’s half century came up in the 28th Over, and he showed no signs of slowing down. Barlow also made his half-century, and like Frenay, simply carried on scoring freely thereafter.
The pair took Reed’s total beyond 300 in staggering fashion, with Frenay bringing up his maiden century for Reed with 2 Overs of the allotted 40 to spare. Frenay finally fell, stumped off of the penultimate ball for 120, however Barlow remained unbeaten on 72, with the pair setting a new Reed 1st eleven 4th wicket partnership of 175 as Reed finished 327-4.
Hoddesdon’s reply was a swift one; as they too plundered boundaries from the word go. 37 runs were scored from the first 5 Overs, but Jack Tidey then made a key breakthrough, snaring a wicket, after Marcus Martin took a sharp leg-side catch behind the stumps. Mitchell Cooper also took a wicket in his first Over after replacing Rupert Martin, and then a second in his second Over, to leave the hosts 64-3 after 8 Overs. The Hoddesdon captain then proceeded to smash the ball everywhere, making 127 in about 65 balls to give the home team a fighting chance.
However, Reed managed to pick up wickets at regular intervals, with Greaves this time showing his prowess with ball, taking 3-27 off of his 8 Overs. Indeed it was Greaves who snared the key wicket of the opposing skipper, caught in stunningly acrobatic fashion by the inspirational old head of Stuart Smith. Jack Tidey then wrapped up the Hoddesdon innings by taking 4 quick wickets, to snare a well-deserved 5-wicket haul. Hoddesdon eventually all out for 235, with 9 Overs of the 40 to spare, to give Reed an impressive and resounding victory.
