18 points was the result of the away fixture to relegation candidates Sandridge II. The home side were desperate for points and after winning the toss the Sandridge Skipper asked Reed to bat. Paul Garrott (11) and Ben Bowles (26) had to concentrate on a pitch that had unpredictable bounce. The Sandridge opening bowlers bowled sensible making the Reed batsman work for their runs.
Garrott was the first victim of the pitch, bowled by a ball that kept really low with the Reed score on 29. Bowles and Ian Fulk took the score to 55 before Bowles was caught at slip, two more quick wickets fell and Reed appeared to be in some difficulties at 80 for 4. Steve Lovegrove started to repair the innings, firstly with Fulk (24), before Fulk too fell victim to a ball that stayed low and then with Nick Green.
Lovegrove was eventually out 5 runs short of his half century, but his innings had given Reed a total that they could realistically defend. Green continued to bat with some maturity ensuring Reed past the 200 mark and gain maximum batting points. He finished 43 not out and Reed ended on 204 for 9 after 53 overs.
The Sandridge reply did not start well; Louis Fitzgerald striking in his first over by removing Sheperd, for a duck. After that there was little success for the Reed openers, Matt Giblin was very economical his 8 overs only conceding 16 runs, but he was unable to pick up a wicket. George Garrott replaced Giblin and he too bowled a good line and length with no reward.
By now the Sandridge second wicket partnership had put on 73 runs, with Darab (56) in particular playing some classy shots. It didn’t help the Reed cause that both batsmen were dropped early in their innings to chances that should have been and usually would have been snapped up.
The introduction of the slower bowlers in the form of the Maseeh and Matt Naeem paid dividends, Naeem senior (15-2-3-46) and Naeem Junior (6-0-2-21) bowled in a spell that saw 5 wickets fall for 31 runs and a Reed victory was again looking a distinct possibility. Fitzgerald and Giblin were returned to the attack with Fitzgerald (10-1-3-30) picking up 2 more wickets but the Sandridge tail-enders were defiant and refused to capitulate and the innings came to a close with the score on 159 for 8 after 47 overs.
With 18 points the thirds managed to close the gap to 10 points on the 2nd placed team. A win next week would ease the Captains nerves and make promotion almost a certainty.
