With over half their team comprising 3 pairs of brothers, and 10 out of their 11 players being ex Juniors from the Clubs long established and hugely successful Colts Cricketing Academy, Reed raced into the last 8 of the Yorkshire Tea National Village Cup with a resounding 83 run win over Essex and Suffolk Champions Mistley Cricket Club.
That the match took place at all after the horrendous rain of the last 7 days was a miracle and testament to the hard work of the Club Members and ground staff team and also to the huge £16,000 investment that Reed made into a new ground drainage scheme 2 years ago.
After deluges of rain on Thursday and Friday nights continued into Saturday afternoon the rain finally relented at 3pm on Saturday and the ground staff got to work to such an extent that by Sunday 1pm the ground was in playable condition and also looking a picture.
Mistley CC from Essex brought a sizeable crowd with them, and when winning what seemed a vital toss, had no hesitation in asking Reed to bat. The decision immediately paid off when Reed Skipper and top rank batsman James Heslam succumbed caught at gully off a brute of a ball that reared off a length off the last ball of the first over. His fellow opener, brother Will, watching from the non strikers end took up the challenge and in company with Tom Greaves 16 took the score to 47 before Greaves fell caught on the boundary. Chris Jackson 9 and Heslam moved the Reed total to 74 before Jackson fell similarly caught in the deep this time at long-on. 17 year old Will Heslam batted with a skill and maturity belying his years and moved to his personal chanceless 50 with a huge 6 over mid wicket. Stuart Smith 12 seemed set for another vital Village Cup contribution but fell caught and bowled with the score on 100-4 whilst Will Heslam and Mitchell Cooper reached 116 before Heslam perished also caught on the boundary for 55. 116-5 became 123-7 and then 138-8 as Cooper, Karl Ward and Sean Tidey all went for 13, 0 and 12 respectively. At 138-8 in the 33rd of the 40 Overs Reed seemed on the verge of a low total and the visitors Mistley were firmly in the driving seat, but Jack Tidey and Kallum Ward, brothers of the previously dismissed Sean and Karl, had other ideas. In 7 Overs of rampant aggression the pair added 62 runs and took Reed to a 40 Over total of 200-8 a tremendous achievement given the slow paced wicket and slow rain affected outfield. Jack Tideys 36* in 41 balls included 4 huge 6’s whilst Kallum Wards 25* included 2 equally huge maximums. The late Reed surge seemed to totally subdue and demoralise the mesmerised Mistley side and in the prevailing conditions chasing 201 to win in 40 Overs seemed a daunting task.
Griggs and Allday started Mistleys reply in front of a large crowd that had grown to around 300, and in bright sunshine. The pair got off to a steady start despite excellent and threatening opening spells from Lee Johnson and Jack Tidey. Griggs however fell LBW to Tidey for 9 with the score at 31 but Allday in particular looked threatening, with 4 crisp 4’s in his 20. However Jack Tidey changed the course of the Mistley innings bowling Allday for 20 and the very next ball dismissing Goff for 0. At 39-3 Mistley were in deep trouble and they never truly recovered. Magnificent Reed fielding and tight bowling saw them take a grip on the game that they never relinquished. Lee Johnson bowled out his 9 overs taking 1-41 and Jack Tidey also bowled out his 9 Overs producing a magnificent 3-29. Tom Greaves and Kallum Ward took over the mantle and the Mistley innings fared no better. The slow pitch provided ample turn for Greaves who returned 4-27 in 8 Overs and Ward a miserly 0-14 in 5 Overs. 2 fine catches by Stuart Smith, and another by Will Heslam, backed up the bowlers and sharp fielding again by Will Heslam induced an efficiently taken Run Out.
55-4, 66-5, 79-6 and 79-7 the Mistley innings was in tatters. A mini recovery involving Matt Bibby 17 and Damian Smith 23 saw them reach 102 for 8 but that was as good as it got and with Reed well in command, and the match firmly under their control, Mistley slumped to 117 all out in the 34th over of their maximum 40.
A hugely impressive display from Reed who moved into the last 8 of this competition for only the 2nd time in the Clubs History and the first time since 1988 when the Heslam brothers father John was Reed Club Captain, and the Tidey brothers father Tim was the Reed Wicket keeper.
Reed are now only 2 matches and 2 wins from the Lords Final and play East Sussex Champions Plumpton and East Chiltington away in Sussex on Sunday 29th July.
