On what turned out to be a damp and drizzly timed game Reeds Sunday Seconds fielded a youthful eleven playing with 6 of the under 15 squad as well as a couple under 18s. However, the young side certainly showed their abilities playing away to hosts Theydon Bois in Essex whose own eleven also had several young players.
The hosts had won the toss and inserted Reed. They had perhaps reckoned on taking early wickets and putting pressure on Reed but the opening pair of Marcus J.E. Baker and Dominic McOmish put pay to that plan. With a constant drizzle now in the air Baker and McOmish played superb innings taking their time to get the measure of the bowlers whilst keeping the scoreboard ticking over. Going at just over 4 an over they put on 141 together when Baker was given out LBW for 69 (11x4s) with McOmish following the next over for 57. This could have given Theydon the opportunity they had sought but they had no such luck as Cemal Ramadam began to knock the bowling about notching up 27 in just 6 overs. Lloyd Bowman chipped in with 7 before Ben Walker (11*) and Greg Marshall (15*) finished off the Reed innings as Peter Baker declared with the score on 213 for 4 from 42 overs.
The second innings was short lived as the drizzle became heavier and finally saw the players seeking shelter. However, this was not before a superb 14 overs which saw opener Chris Marshall (6-1-16-0) trouble the batsmen and Joe Graves knocking the off peg out the ground three times to claim three superb wickets for just 16.
Had the rain stayed away then it could well have developed into a closely fought game but it was not to be.
