The 2013 season was a challenging one for the 4s with difficult availability further up the club having a knock on effect. However, this did allow captain Rob Willoughby to utilise the club’s colt section.
Several of the club’s youth players came into the team and really impressed without being intimidated with the step up. There were also new faces in the form of more fathers returning to playing as well as the return of couple of former players.
There were very few wins throughout the season, but there were some very strong team performances when good bonus points gained against some strong sides. Unfortunately the inexperience in the bowling and some lax catching throughout much of the season meant that the 4s were unlikely to do much in the league.
The general trend to the season shows that it was a tough start to the season without a win and also having to concede a game due to lack of numbers. However, Reed themselves were helped with two matches conceded against them sandwiching one of the two wins of the season. This allowed the team to move up the league after being around the bottom.
However, there then followed a period of difficult results where Reed struggled against strong sides, and against the “weaker” teams could not quite find the necessary ingredients for the win.
Fortunately the season finished on a high, as despite having to concede their penultimate game, Reed had a convincing 4 wicket win.
Conceded games were a theme of division 13 with what seemed to be an extraordinary amount of games being forfeited by a team. This would appear to show difficulties with numbers throughout the league and shows that Reed is not alone in availability issues. Where Reed benefit is from the continued efforts of several senior players and the willingness of younger players to play.
Special thanks must go to Richard Robertson and Ray Kingshott for their super work on the ground at Freman. Without doubt there has been a fantastic contribution to the 4s from the tea ladies, with several wonderful ladies providing an amazing abundance of lovely tea in rather insalubrious surroundings.
