On a hot sunny Saturday, Reed III opened their season with a friendly against Preston in a 90 over match at Reed. The Reed Captain Maseeh Naeem won the toss and elected to bat sending in, Paul Garrott and Peter Baker to open. The Preston opening bowlers bowled a good line and length and the Reed batsman found it hard to get the ball away, Cook in particular was very economical, ending with figures of 2 – 17 of his 10 over’s. It was Hearne (10 – 1 – 25) who struck first having Garrott caught behind in the fourth over for 2 with the score on 11. Peter Baker was joined at the crease by 15 year old Matthew Naeem but the pair only managed to put on 7 runs before Baker (14) was adjudged to be out LBW to the bowling of Cook. John Kershaw (5) also met the same fate, LBW to Cook with the score on 29 after 11 over’s.
Matthew Naeem was then joined by another 15 year old; Nick Green and the pair slowly started the Reed recovery. Green being the most aggressive of the pair attempted to take the attack to Preston, Naeem decided to play the anchor role, taking 37 deliveries to register his first runs. This partnership saw of the Preston opening pair and put on 70 runs before Green was bowled for 27, leaving Reed on 95 for 4 after 30 over’s. Maseeh Naeem then took up the role of aggressor with some unconventional but effective batting, before being bowled by S Balac for 41. The partnership saw Naeem Snr and Naeem Jnr put on 51 runs in 5 over’s. Alan Ward then played a wonderful innings, milking the singles and hitting the bad balls to the boundary in his knock of 44 not out. Matthew Naeem (52) also carried his bat after occupying the crease for the best part of 40 over’s, and managing to score his maiden half century for Reed. Reed finished their 45 over’s on 207 – 5.
The Preston opening bats wasted no time in their attempt to chase down the Reed total. Saunders (37) was brutal in hitting any ball that was a fraction wide to the boundary, with his partner King (16), they kept steady score rate of over 5 an over. The Reed opening attack of Julian Fynn (7 – 1 – 31) and the ever reliable Jason Archer (7 – 1 – 21) toiled away and got their reward; Fynn removed Saunders, bowling him with a slower delivery, and Archer had King LBW.
Once the two openers were back in the pavilion, Jason Pallett and 12 year old Reece Fitzgerald were called on to bowl some spin. Both bowlers bowled effectively, making it very difficult for the Preston batsman to score. Fitzgerald finished with figures of 8 – 3 – 1 – 18, an outstanding achievement by the young man. However Pallett was the star bowler, bowling all five of his victims, and ending with figures of 5 – 17, and taking Reed to a comfortable 103 run win.
