Reed’s 2nd XI travelled to Hoddesdon for their latest league match. Water had seeped under the covers and delayed the start. Reed lost the toss and were unsurprising put into bat. Openers Baz Curtis and Fergus Martin made slow, but steady progress against a good opening spell from Burroughs and Sturdy. The pair put on the first 50 opening partnership of the season before Curtis was caught at mid wicket for 34 in the 19th over.
Martin was unlucky to play on off the bowling of Gandon and when Barlow went soon after Reed were in all sorts of trouble. Will Clarke and Matt Bowles put on 29 for the 4th wicket. Bowles seemed to be getting back in the groove after his injury lay off before he feathered a catch behind. This brought in Marcus Martin who upped the run rate with Clarke. Clarke managing to hit his first ever 6 on the way to 26, but could so easily have been 32 if he hadn’t missed the long hop and been bowled.
Martin’s brisk 31 got Reed into the batting points apply assisted by Marcus Baker. With just 4 overs left Reed were 156-6 and the next batting points 14 runs away. Baker decided this was doable and more than that got Reed to the next batting point as well. With some fine striking and taking advantage of the short boundary he smashed 40 not out to leave Reed 185-6 off their 50 overs.
The wicket had now dried thanks to the strong wind and it was going to take some accurate bowling to make 186 needed competitive. Tom Wallsingham opened into the gale and bowled very well, but it was his new ball partner Lewis Fitzgerald that struck first. He bowled the Hoddesdon skipper for 10. Wallsingham got in on the act bowling Andras for 1 with the score on just 11. A run out was affected thanks to some calm fiedling from Toby Fynn and Fitzgerald to leave the home side 19-3. This brought Purves to the crease. He and Gandon never looked in any trouble against Reed’s young attack.
The pair added 138 for the 4th wicket before Gandon was removed by the returning Wallsingham for 60. Reed never quite got the run rate under control and in the end Purves 93 not out proved too much. Hoddesdon won by 6 wickets with 2.1 overs to spare.
