Reed 4s entertained second placed Harpenden 6s in their last home league fixture of 2015.
Winning the toss, Skipper Lloyd Bowman had no qualms in inserting the opposition on a green pitch at the Freman Oval. Matt Yates opened the bowling at the Reed End but was promptly dispatched for three boundaries by Ivans. However, the positive start was cut short as Neil Haslam, opening from the Buntingford End bowled Bolton off his pads for a duck, 12 for 1.
Ivans and Callender then began to build a sensible partnership. Yates finished with credible figures of 6-0-29-0, despite the indifferent first over and gave way to Steve Hughes. Meanwhile Haslam was continuing to bowl tight lines with genuine inswing and away movement of the pitch and passed the bat with regularity. The score had reached 59 when Callender spooned an easy catch to the safe hands of Martin Johnson at cover point off the nagging bowling off Hughes (7-1-21-2). Haslam finished his spell in the next over by clean bowling Ivans for 26 with a ball that swung in late, 63 for 3. Haslam ended his spell with figures of 9-2-26-2, to makeway for Mas Naeem (5-0-37-0) whose spin offered two early chances that Reed failed to take.
Washington and Byrne set about rebuilding the Harpenden innings and the pair put on 74 for the fourth wicket before Alan Ward (8-2-33-4) trapped Byrne LBW for 49, 137 for 4. Four runs later Washington nibbled at an away swinger from Ward to be caught behind by Chris West for 28. At 141 for 5 off of 34 Overs, Reed were very much on top.
Jones soon followed caught by Naeem to give Ward his third wicket. (154-6) Left hander Field (56*) now began to take a liking to the bowling, he was particularly severe on Johnson 3-0-41-0 and Roberts 7-0-35-0. He and McNeill began an unlikely fightback. They put on 67 in just short of 7 overs.Ward broke the partnership with a beautiful slower ball to bowl McNeill for 19 (221 for 7). The returning Hughes removed Frost for no score, Lloyd Bowman pouching the catch and Harpenden finished their 45 overs on 227 for 8. Would conceding 80 runs in the last ten overs comeback to haunt Reed ?
Reed began their reply at break neck speed. Paul Garrott punishing some early wayward bowling. However, this proved short lived as Mansfield was bowled for 0 by Frost 7-0-29-2 and Naeem’s eyes lit up at a wide delivery the very next ball to be caught behind, 15 for 2. Alan Ward now joined Garrott could they rebuild the innings ? The score had reached 36 when Ward was bowled by left armer Callender for 5. Chris West came to the wicket and slowly built a 29 partnership with Garrott. West went for one shot too many and was caught in the deep for 11 and when Garrott fell in the next over, Reed were tottering at 68 for 5 off just 14 overs.
Matters got even worse when Hughes fell for just one (76 for 6), any hope of a win was evaporating pretty quickly for the home team. Johnson fell for 13 to Field (6-2-21-2) now staring with ball after his early unbeaten fifty (86 for 7).Skipper Lloyd Bowman and “Born again batsman ” Ian Roberts dug deep to prevent a complete surrender. Bowman was unfortunate and fell for a gutsy determined 14 (107-8 in the 28th over). Matt Yates joined Roberts and the pair showed the upper order how they maybe should have batted.
They frustrated Harpenden and with it gained some vital batting points into the bargain. The innings closed at 146 for 8 off of the full 45 overs, with Roberts unbeaten on 23 and Yates not out 11.
A 81 run defeat nonetheless, but the last two partnerships could more than be forgiven for achieving a “moral” draw. Despite the defeat remained top of the league by 6 points and by 0.5 points on average, from Harpenden with two final away league games to follow. Reed now need just 14 points to be promoted and 25 points to clinch the title. Their next match is away at Hertford 5s next weekend.
