Most Saturdays one can saunter up to Reed Village Green around 3.15, watch the tail end of the first innings and after a welcome cup of tea settle down to watch the 2nd Innings reply and avail oneself of a pint or three as the sun sinks slowly in the west! However this past weekend those arriving at 3.20 could only witness the players departing the field – with the match already over! Incredibly a Herts Division ONE match was all over in 2 Hours 20 minutes (including 10 minute changeover between innings)!! Is this a record? Probably!
Old Finchleians travelled to Reed sitting in 2nd place in the League some 29 points in front of the home side, and having already beaten Reed earlier in the season. Reed had failed to record a win in their last 6 matches. Finchleians win the toss – choose to bat – and then on the Reed “Road” slump to 75 all out in only 22.3 overs! Have they all got to get home for a wedding? Have they just signed Mervyn Westfield? Have Reed just signed Jimmy Anderson!! Well just 9.0 overs later it is all over with Reed 79 – 2 closing the gap on Finchleians to one point.
Tension gripped the air! Would the visitors stay for tea? Was the tea ready? Was this the easiest £80 ever earned by SHCL Umpires? Would they donate their fees to Charity? Would one of Reeds finest jump into a car and rush to Boxmoor to give the 4th Xl 11 men, and play 2 matches in a day? Yes! Yes! Yes! No and No! Disgracefully the players did not return to the field after tea to play a “Beer Match” leaving the massed rank of the Reed spectator to trundle off home.
After tea the bulk of the home side departed for Codicote, demonstrating great Club camaraderie and hoping to watch their 2nd Xl colleagues win a top of the table clash in Division 7. However, they were to be disappointed with that result, and it transpired that Reeds only winning Xl of the day had completed their task before most other matches had completed their first innings. Lightening did strike early in the afternoon at Reed on Saturday – It was a Tidey display!!
