Reed decided to bat first after winning the toss but inexplicably were soon in trouble at 27 for 4. Step forward two of the promising youngsters from Reed’s Colts’ structure. Calmly, Dominick McOmish, (26), and Jack Caine, (17), added another 47 for the 5th wicket with some well-timed boundaries. The scoring rate was never a problem although wickets tumbled regularly thereafter. Richard Robertson scored 20 and Reece Fitzgerald 15, and with some further resistance from the rest of the lower order, Reed were all-out for just 125 in only 24 overs. This meant that Shenley Village had a total of 66 overs in which to achieve their required target at fewer than 2 runs per over.
Tea was taken after the first fifteen-over session. At this point, the hosts were already 4 wickets down. Veteran campaigners, Ian Roberts and Richard Robertson, had opened the bowling attack for Reed and once in their stride had made life difficult for the batsmen. Robertson took 3 for 40 before being replaced by 13-year-old Reece Fitzgerald whose stature as an off-spin bowler has grown match-by-match this season. Ian Roberts continued and settled into a long spell of 16 overs eventually ending with an economical 2 for 25 as he mesmerised the batsmen with his trademark full-length out-swingers.
Fitzgerald meanwhile flighted his deliveries and varied his pace trapping 2 batters early-on in his spell. Warren Seeley batting at number 4 saw his team-mates come and go and virtually played a lone hand although Woodward stayed with him for a period that looked as if they might see Shenley home to victory. Alan Ward took-over from the tiring Roberts and conceded only 11 runs from 7 overs, but it was young Fitzgerald who struck again claiming his third, then his fourth, then finally with only 12 runs needed to win, his fifth as he bowled the number 11 leaving Seeley stranded on 56 not out. Fitzgerald returned superb figures of 5 for 32 from 16 overs as he recorded his first “five-for” in senior cricket and making him not only the Reed Fourth XI leading wicket-taker for the season but also topping the bowling averages; a wonderful achievement.
The Fourth XI finished in a respectable 9th position in the division after winning only 1 match in their first 13 outings this year, but then winning 5 of their final 6 matches.
