The 4th XI travelled the short distance to The Meads the Home Ground of Hare Street and Hormead to play Hertford’s 5th XI in their penultimate League match of the season.
Skipper Lloyd Bowman kept up his recent run of correct coin toss calls and put Hertford into bat. Matt Giblin and Neil Haslam opened the bowling for Reed and immediately began to exert pressure on the two Hertford openers. Runs were hard to come by and Giblin struck first J. Davis giving a catch to Paul Garrott (23-1), Giblin took the wicket of the Hertford Skipper S. Dawson in the same over with no addition to the score. At the other end Haslam bowled his medium pace inswingers and leg cutters passing the bat regularly and was unlucky not to take a couple of wickets as two lofted shots cleared both mid on and mid off. Giblin ended his spell with 9-2-23-2 and Haslam 9-4-15-0, equivalent to maybe a two wicket haul considering how the game was progressing at 41 for 2 off 18 overs.
Ollie Mansfield replaced Giblin and Ian Roberts replaced Haslam. Roberts bowled Stemp on the stroke of the drinks break for just 4, 51 for 3 in the 21st over. Mansfield took the wicket of N.Osborne for a duck soon after the resumption, Giblin taking the catch at mid on and Hertford were wobbling at 53 for 4. H.Sewell now came to the crease and together with opener C Ives tried to rebuild the Hertford innings. Sewell struck the ball firmly of both bowlers and made full use of the short square boundaries on both sides of the pitch.They increased the run rate and within six overs had brought up the 100.
However, the revival proved to be shorted lived Ives failed to ground his bat as Martin Johnson threw with accuracy with only one stump in view to run him out for a patient 39. (101-5) Sewell perished soon after slashing at a ball from Roberts to be caught in the slips by Bill Mansfield for 40, Hertford were now 106 for 6 and Reed were scenting the opportunity to wrap up the innings quite quickly. Mansfield (7-2-48-2) took his second wicket bowling J.Sewell for 4 (115 for 7). He was replaced by Alan “Golden Arm” Ward (1-1-0-1) who bowled Bancroft for 0 and Roberts took the final wicket with Ollie Mansfield taking a good square leg catch. Hertford had made 122 in 34 overs.
Reed had to negotiate a half an hour period before tea, Paul Garrott and Martin Johnson opening the batting. Just as it looked as if they were going to get to the interval unscathed, Johnson played a loose shot to be bowled by Bancroft for 0. 11 for 1 in the 6th over and tea was then taken.
After the break Bill Mansfield joined Garrott and the pair began to take the game to the Hertford bowlers. They punished anything short or wide and the signs were beginning to look ominous for Hertford. H..Sewell the Hertford hero with the bat, came on with the ball. The score was on 64 when Mansfield was bowled by Sewell for a pugnacious 34, was there going to be a twist in the tail ?
Alan Ward now joined Garrott and they wasted no time in reasserting Reed’s dominance, Garrott with his power cutting and leg side sweeping and Ward’s deft touches and quick singles took Reed over the 100 mark and victory was looming in sight. The 24th over was dispatched for 19 and this brought up the 50 partnership. The second ball of the next over was driven by Garrott to deep mid on and the three runs that clinched the Reed win also brought up his 50, He ended 50 not out and Ward 26 not out as Reed cantered in the end to an eight wicket win inside 25 overs.
An elated Lloyd Bowman, commented after the game, ” This was a superb all round performance by the team today. The bowling, fielding and the batting were all top drawer”. Credit must go to Lloyd Bowman on gaining promotion in his first season of captaincy.
Reed conclude their 2015 League Programme next Saturday away at Stevenage 6s.
