The 2014 Under 15s Colts season provided some memorable team performances and some impressive individual contributions from a small squad of players who were supplemented in all but one of the matches from players from the younger age groups.
Reed were second best to only one other team (Weston Colville) in their league losing twice to them but of the 8 other matches, Reed won 6 and several by big margins.
Unfortunately, two matches were not played because one of the clubs could not raise teams for either of the home or away fixtures.
Under the leadership of captain Owen Hughes and vice-captain Ben Moody, the team relied on the senior members of the squad to score most of the runs with Connor Poulton averaging 50, Zac Conley averaging 28 and Sam Hubbard and Owen Hughes averaging well into double figures. However, it was the younger players who took most of the wickets. Toby Emes took 16 wickets, Ed Kershaw took 12 and Matt Yates chipped in with 9. The consistently economical bowling of Owen Hughes who often shouldered the responsibility of opening with Sam Hubbard got Reed off to a good start in many of the games.
In most matches the fielding was sharp and during the season, Zac Conley’s safe pair of hands took 6 catches and Connor Poulton held some stunning catches amongst his 5.
The season started with a resounding win at home to Royston which was set up by an amazing spell of bowling in which Reed took 8 Royston wickets for 2 runs with Ed Kershaw finishing with figures of 3 for 0 and Toby Emes 3 for 2.
In the next match, away to Ashwell, the Reed bowlers were on top again reducing the opposition from 39 for 1 to 52 for 7 with Toby Emes returning the season’s best figures of 5 for 11. However, chasing a modest total, the Reed batting collapsed even more spectacularly, losing 6 wickets in the space of 4 overs. Although Reed rallied, the team fell 6 runs short of the Ashwell score.
The next match was a thriller. Playing away at Sawston, Reed chased down a total of 122 with one ball to spare thanks to some quick running between the wickets in the final few overs between Ben Moody and Connor Poulton (36 not out) after some fine batting from Tom Nussey (24), and Zac Conley (33) had provided a platform.
After a home defeat against Weston Colville where Reed couldn’t keep up with the required run rate, the team reeled off three successive victories. Firstly Linton were dismissed cheaply for 67 after Matt Yates (4 for 12) removed the top order and Reed knocked off the runs in under 10 overs (Connor Poulton 42 not out). There followed an even more impressive victory against Ashwell with Ed Kershaw (4 for 2) and Toby Emes (3 for 5) doing most of the damage, skittling out the opposition for 50 and then Zac Conley (25 not out) led the scoring to overtake the total in under 7 overs. The next match away to Royston was more evenly balanced but Sam Hubbard (33 not out with the bat and 2 for 10 with the ball) helped steer Reed to a win by 15 runs.
The return match against Weston Colville brought a halt to the winning run. The opposition run rate was initially restricted thanks to some typically economical bowling from Owen Hughes (2 for 9 from 4 overs) but Weston Colville then unleashed some big hitting in the last 10 overs to post a huge total. In response to the challenge of scoring at over 8 an over, Reed put up a fight led by Connor Poulton who made 62 runs but the opposition score eventually proved too much to overhaul.
The team bounced back in the next match and went on to register their second win over Sawston, this time by 19 runs in a high scoring match with the batting dominated by Connor Poulton (67) and Zac Conley (33 not out).
The final match of the season saw an uncharacteristic below par Reed performance which gave Linton their first win and Reed’s heaviest defeat of the season and this against which Reed had beaten comprehensively by 9 wickets in the home match.
The players can look back on a successful season having played some good cricket and gelling together as a team. They were a great group to work with and represented the club well both on and off the field which all helped to make for a fun and enjoyable 2014 season.
