It might not have been the longest of winters but for many it was the hardest. The only true remedy for the soul was the return of cricket. For Reed’s second eleven that all began in a friendly fixture away to Flitwick.
The large boundary and shaggy outfield meant that value for shots was not really the case for Reed as they batted first. Struggling at 66 for 4 with half their allotted overs already used, it was looking like it was going to be a tough battle. However, the general rule was that if you play yourself in, you can cash-in later. For this there is no greater exponent than Chris Jackson. Support came in the form of Karl Ward and the pair both played masterful hands as they took advantage of an improving pitch. Adding 143 together, Ward was eventually out for 61 in the penultimate over. Whilst Jackson, unbeaten for 97, saw Reed through to their final score of 214 for 5.
The reply by Flitwick never really bore fruit as Reed took wickets at steady intervals. Second eleven mainstays Rupert Martin, Julien Fynn and Karl Ward each took wickets. But the real stars were Greg McKinnell with his 4 wickets and young spinner Will Archer with his 2. Supported by some fantastic catches, Reed’s bowlers ended the contest leaving them victors by 104 runs.
Match report submitted by MJEB.
