A weekend of incredibly poor availability for a variety of legitimate reasons meant that the two’s hosted St Albans with a weaker than usual side. However, Tim Tidey skippering the side preferred to look at the situation as a fantastic opportunity for a number of talented players to prove themselves at a higher standard.
Jack Caine (12) and Richard Johnson (13) opened the Reed innings and were just starting to make their mark when Johnson edged behind a good delivery giving the visitors their first wicket. Two more soon followed leaving Reed struggling at 35 for 3. Marcus J.E. Baker came out at number 5 to join Reed’s 14 year old protégé Mike Catt. The pair was patient in waiting for the bad balls to pick up their runs and gradually with some time a partnership began to form. The young Mike Catt was certainly impressing with a display of good technique and temperament.
Baker eventually started to bludgeon a few balls to the boundary and was looking set for a big and dominant innings when the slightest of edges was taken behind with Baker walking back to the pavilion for 29. Catt continued his steady innings before unexpectedly missing one, leaving the field also for 29. Only George Garrott (12) and Pete Tidey (12*) made it into double figures as Reed’s innings ended well short of a par score on 134.
Going all out to take ten wickets Reed’s young fielders put in a dedicated and spirited performance in support of their bowlers. Pete Tidey showed a lot of fight and gave perhaps his best performance of the year removing the St Albans opener, bowling 15-4-29-1. Karl Ward also gave his best despite going un-rewarded. George Garrott picked up a wicket thanks to sharp catch in the slips by Rhodri Hughes, whilst Joe Graves’s superb wicket taking spell showed why he’s knocking on the door for the twos.
It was none the less especially frustrating that after such a fine display in the field St Albans not only chased down their target but did so losing only three wickets.
Report submitted by MJEB.
