Reed made light work of Northchurch II in their latest Saracens Herts League game. The visitors one the toss and decided to bat first. Despite Northchurch being bottom of the league Reed wanted to make sure they took guests seriously. Chris Peckett got the early breakthrough they had hoped for bowling Ledienere for a duck. Kallum Ward bowling down the hill again bowled well and was unlucky to go wicketless in his opening spell. A smart throw from Mark King saw off O’Dair for 20. It turned out he would be the top scorer for Northchurch. Peter Tidey replaced Ward and soon got in on the action. He bowled Flipler for 18 and with the help of a good catch from Ward, Whitworth for 10. Peckett would have picked up two more wickets, but both were no balls!
At 61-5 Reed were well on top despite a lacklustre fielding display. Peckett picked up a well deserved 2nd wicket and finished with 2-36 from 12 overs. Tidey had now changed ends to allow Will Clarke to come down the hill. He struck early in his spell when Mark King held a catch in the deep. By now the visitors were 88-7. Tidey was on the brink of his first 5 wicket haul of the season, but Ward came back into the attack and put a stop to that. He removed the stubborn Debenham for 11 and Lindsay for a duck. It was left to Tidey to take the final wicket. Northchurch were 120 all out. Tidey ending with figures of 4-24 from 13.4 overs.
Reed needed to make sure their were no hiccups chancing the low total. Baz Curtis and Matt Bowles got Reed off to the perfect start. The pair had put on 61 before Bowles was caught at cover. Curtis was punishing anything loose. Hitting strongly down the ground he moved to 53 before being freakishly run out. A huge top edge was dropped by the keeper, but 1st slip was alert and Curtis was run. Mark King replaced Curtis and joined Stuart Smith. King was caught for 13 when the pair looked like they would see Reed home. This was done by Richard Johnson, 17 not out, and Smith who was 21 not out. Reed won by a comfortable 7 wickets.
