On Sunday Reed travelled to a cold and damp Preston. On what looked to be a damp track, skipper Jack Tidey won the toss and chose to bowl; hoping to make the most of overhead conditions and a drying wicket. Tom Walsingham bowled a good line and length in what was another solid spell for the young quick. At 70-1 Preston looked fairly comfortable but some controlled bowling from the likes of Michael Robertson (6-1-22-1) Mitchell Cooper (5-0-25-2) and Phil Lill (8-1-36-2) along with ‘keeper Sean Tidey, who chipped in with 4 catches, helped to tie down the Preston middle order. It must be said that George Garrott (7-0-22-1) was the pick of the Reed bowlers and was extremely unlucky not to get more wickets. Walsingham (8-4-12-2) returned with Matt Giblin (5.2-0-33-2) to finish off the Preston tail restricting them to 169.
In reply (after a superb tea), Reed wasted no time in making a dent in the target. Sean Tidey and Mitchell Cooper opened up and both found the boundary with ease. Tidey in particular was the aggressor in the early stages of the innings and brought up his 50 in just 19 balls. Cooper soon put his foot on the pedal and blasted his way to 50 in 38 balls. The pair both looked to get the game won and get out of the cold as quickly as possible in what was described as “some of the most clean and refreshing stroke play that had been seen for a long while” by an opposing player!!!
The pair put on 151 before Cooper departed for a magnificent 80 from 52 balls (6x4s & 7x6s). Paul Garrott came to the crease and picked up where Cooper had left off, stroking the ball to the boundary on 3 occasions in his 16 not out, steering Reed past the 170 target in under 17 overs. Sean Tidey ended with a powerful and dominant 71 not out from 38 balls with 7x4s & 5x6s in what turned out to be an impressive 9 wicket victory for Reed.
