Reed’s fourth eleven hosted Langlebury in their opening game of the 2011 league season. The fours missed promotion narrowly last year and were eager to make amends and with two victories in their last two encounters with the visitors Peter Bakers side were confident of another win.
Reed batted first and Paul Garrott was soon picking up from where he left off last year with another 50, whilst his opening partner P. Baker made 16 before being replaced at the wicket by under 15 Dominic McOmish. Reed then lost two wickets before Graham Hazard, making his return after a year out, joined McOmish. The pair made a partnership of 81 beating the previous fourth wicket partnership, ‘Bunker’ Hazard finding the boundary often whilst the younger of the two was happy to play the ball around the field as he accumulated singles. Hazard (47) was lost just shy of fifty whilst McOmish was rewarded for his mature and ever more confident innings with his maiden league half century eventually falling for a well crafted 78. Alan Ward made a cameo of 14 not out as Reed finished their 47 overs on 227 for 5.
Reed got two early wickets, one each for Matt Giblin (7-1-29-1) and Christian Martin (10-2-46-1) but Langlebury fought back and their number 3 and 4 went the distance as McFarlane (97*) and Murray (111*) knocked off the runs as the visitors one by 8 wickets. A disappointing start for Reed but it’s a long summer and the fourths will be even more eager now to get into division twelve.
