Reed 1st Xl travelled to Knebworth Park on Saturday in the Saracens Hertfordshire Championship League and recorded a remarkable and ultimately comfortable victory after seeming at one stage to be dead and buried at the hands of their hosts.
Put in to bat on a damp wicket Reed actually got off to a reasonable start with Will Heslam and Sam Fairbrother registering 37 before Fairbrother fell caught for 20. That however signaled the start of a Reed slump to 62-5 as batsmen came and went with alarming regularity. The in form Will Heslam however stood firm and resolute compiling a patient score of 38 but he fell caught and the Reed Innings stood at 86 -7. Sean Tidey decided on an aggressive approach and rattled up a quick 23 but when he holed out at 113-8 an early defeat loomed! However, Reed skipper James Heslam who normally opens the Reed innings but who is carrying a wrist injury walked out at No 10 determined to rescue the situation. Together with Jack Tidey 17 they took the score to 134 before Tidey fell for 17. With last pair Heslam and Toby Fynn now at the crease one more error would be Reeds last, but Heslam carefully crafted a superb innings and manipulated the strike to the frustration of the Knebworth Park Team. Fynn contributed greatly with his sensible and mature supportive 14* but Heslam took charge and as the Reed Innings drew towards its final overs he accelerated the scoring with a series of hard struck boundaries. Heslam pummeled 7 Fours and a Six in an undefeated 51 which eventually saw the Reed Innings drawn to a close at a respectable 191-9 from their allocated overs.
A somewhat dispirited Knebworth Park, who doubtless felt they had let a winning opportunity slip were then put even deeper into their misery by a magnificent spell of opening bowling conjured up by Jack Tidey and Toby Fynn. Knebworth slumped to 22-5 after 12 overs in the face of the Reed onslaught. Number 3 Patel led a fightback for Knebworth but wickets continued to fall at the other end as Fynn 12 overs 3 – 33 and Tidey 18 Overs 5 – 42 destroyed the home sides hopes of challenging the Reed total.
Sean Tidey behind the stumps for Reed registered 4 catches in the innings and when Patel fell 9th out for 44 the end was nigh. Alex Mutucumara and Kallum Ward had each chipped in with 1 wicket apiece and Toby Fynn had the honour of taking the final wicket, but it was Jack Tidey with his “Fivefer” who had starred with the ball. Knebworth finished on 103 all out after 38 overs to give Reed a great win by 88 Runs and see them rise to 3rd place in the Herts Championship League table.
The win hopefully augurs well for Reeds form as they approach another key weekend with a further League Fixture on Saturday at home against Totteridge Millhillians and then on Sunday their Nation Village Cricket Cup last 32 Inter County clash, again at Reed, against Kent Champions Sibton Park from Folkestone.
