Early season Herts SHCL Division 1 leaders Reed let their lead slip away as they lost away against Old Finchleians. Reed finished the match with only a 5 point return as they paid the price for putting their opponents in to bat and then failed to secure the win.
Despite the previous days rain the wicket proved less helpful to the bowlers than they had hoped and the home side passed 50 without loss as the Reed bowlers offered too many loose deliveries and failed to exert the required and expected pressure. The introduction of Mitchell Cooper and Tom Greaves into the attack improved Reeds fortunes somewhat but approaching the halfway stage of the Finchleians innings they were comfortably placed only 3 wickets down and well past the 100 mark. The home side went on to declare after 51 of their possible 53 overs with their score at 226-7. Tom Greaves proved the pick of the Reed bowlers with 4 wickets.
In reply Reed got off to a steady start but skipper James Heslam fell for 18 with score at 30. Brother Will fell for 19 soon afterwards and Smith and Jackson also made it into the teens without going on to a threatening score. Tom Greaves briefly threatened to put Reed back into the match with a sprightly 40 but after he departed only Sean Tidey with 38 and Richard Johnson, cruelly adjudged LBW when looking promising, made any significant runs. Reed were eventually all out for 180, 47 short of their required target with 8.4 overs still available to them.
