Reed completed their Championship season with defeat in an entertaining game against Stevenage at the green.
Despite a number of regular players unavailable Reed were still able to field a decent looking outfit and were keen to get the game on despite the overnight rain. Stevenage won the toss and chose to bat on a wicket still in good shape despite the weather. They got off to a good start putting on 83 for the first wicket with Captain Whitworth (61) leading the way as he has for much of the season. They then reached 150-1 off 34 overs and looked well set for a big score. And once hard hitting overseas batsman Neville Talbot (37) came in and smashed his first ball for 6 it looked like it could be even more! However, Reeds strike bowler Jack Tidey once again stepped up taking 4-40 including the key wicket of Talbot clean bowled. During this period Ian Osborne (2-32) also bowled well and the visitors were restricted to 224-6 off their 50 overs.
In reply Reed got off to the worst possible start with James Heslam caught for 0 looking to dominate too early in his last game as Captain. However, Phil Lill (43) pushed up the order settled straight away and he and Will Heslam (20) took the score along to 60-1 in only 11 overs. However they both then fell in fairly quick succession leaving Reed at 77-3 off 14 overs. New signing Matt Sampson played very nicely for his 21 but when he and Wharton (4) fell Stevenage were on top with Reed 98-5. However, the very impressive 17 year-old Rob Lankaster (29) in his first league innings for the Reed 1st team and Sean Tidey (22) then raised Reeds hopes with an excellent partnership taking the score along to 142-5 in 31 overs. But when Tidey went wickets tumbled and Reed quickly subsided to 169 all out in 36 overs.
In the last 3 games the wheels had come off the Reed season perhaps not helped by having nothing to play for except pride and league position. In a season of injury and at times difficult availability a mid-table finish of 5th place in a stronger league than last year is probably one to reasonably accept. If the squad of players from this season can allow for a consistent side to be produced next season with perhaps a little individual improvement a push towards the top half is certainly within sight for a talented Reed.
