Tewin set Two-Two-Two to Win!

Reed 4th XI v Tewin 2nd XI: Saturday 25th June 2016 at Freman Oval.

Reed Fours welcomed Tewin Seconds to the Freman Oval looking to fight back after two consecutive League defeats. Tewin won the toss and elected to bat on a favourable looking pitch, despite the rain of earlier in the week.

Reed opened with Neil Haslam (Buntingford End) and 15-year-old Sam Karr (Reed End). Both bowlers struck a good line immediately and the Tewin opening pair of Taylor and Hill found runs hard to come by. At ten overs Tewin were only on 33 for 0, Karr’s first spell of 6-1-22-0 was superb as he bowled with great shape away from the bat. The wily veteran Haslam continued with his variety of huge late in swing, the occasional piece of away swing as well as extracting a considerable amount of bounce from a good length. He bowled his quota of overs straight through with figures of 12-1-33-0, commendable on the batsman friendly Freman pitch. Tewin crawled to 86 for 0 of off 26 overs, a pace more suited to four-day cricket.

Reed at last made a breakthrough in the 29th over as Martin Johnson (10-5-32-2) had Hill caught behind by skipper Bowman for 48. Taylor who had been quiet for almost 30 overs upped the ante and he took a liking to the bowling of Johnny Adams (7-0-72-0), the run rate increased. Johnson captured his second wicket as he forced Stannard into lobbing the ball to John Kershaw at silly mid-on for just 6, Tewin were now 127-2. Taylor now looked to post a challenging score in the last ten overs, good placement and strong hitting upped the run rate to above 5 an over and he reached a deserved century. Cuff retired injured on 17 and Taylor was joined by his son Damien and the pair took Tewin to 221 for 2 off the maximum 42 overs Taylor snr remained 110 not out. 136 coming from the last 16 overs. Sam Karr finished with final figures of 10-1-53-0, and Ed Kershaw bowled 3-0-29-0.

How would Reed respond, they opened with Paul Garrott and John Kershaw, the pair negotiated the early overs of Douet and Bryce. The score had reached 19 when Bryce bowled Kershaw for 4. Bill Mansfield came to the wicket and immediately asserted himself punishing any bad deliveries. The score accelerated and the chase was very much on. The total passed 100 and had reached 110 when Garrott attempting a risky second run was run out for 45. Mansfield fell in the next over, bowled by Hill for 49. Kieran McKenna soon followed for 8 and when Ben Mansfield fell for a first ball duck and Martin Johnson to the first ball of the following over. Tewin had taken 3 wickets in 3 balls and Reed was wobbling at 123-6. Adams and Karr soon followed to the bowling of Taylor jnr and Reed had been reduced to 129-8 with 7 overs remaining. Skipper Lloyd Bowman and Ed Kershaw dug deep to prevent Tewin forcing victory and Reed ended on 147-8 off their 38 overs. Bowman was not out on 10 and Ed Kershaw ended 6 not out as they held on for the draw.

Skipper Lloyd Bowman commented “At 30 overs to have Tewin at 96-0 was great on this Freman pitch, our opening attack was accurate and miserly. We knew that Tewin would attack in the last few overs and we were pleased to restrict them to 221. At 110-1 we were very much in the hunt, but the team showed real determination to hold on for a draw at the end”.
Reed picks up 8 points and remains fifth in the Division.

The Fours travel to Harpenden Sixes next week at the half-way point in the League Season approaches.

Report submitted by Neil Haslam.