Games at Lowfield are invariably tight affairs for the Firsts and this was no exception. Two years ago Hoddesdon pipped Reed to the Championship title here and before that a high scoring encounter ended with the scores tied.
This time the hosts won by two wickets in an exciting, nerve jangling match which see-sawed backwards and forwards.
Ed Wharton (14) and Will Heslam (17) carefully negotiated the accurate opening attack of new acquisition, South African paceman Matt Varner and perennially miserly Martin Brown, slowly building a foundation for the innings. However at 55 for 3 a big partnership was required and Rob Lankester (64) in tandem with Sean Tidey (44) obliged, taking the score to 140. With 5 overs left and Lankester starting to strike sixes, 180+ seemed possible, but three wickets in three balls turned the game back in Hoddie’s favour. A run-a-ball cameo of 15 by Stuart Smith helped to take it to 166 for 8, a par score considering the slow wicket and wet outfield.
In contrast to Reed’s patience, Hoddesdon started aggressively and paid the price. Ed Wharton (2-24) and Toby Fynn (2-23) abetted by Smith’s safe hands in the deep, left them in big trouble at 31-4, but this brought to the wicket Reed’s arch nemesis, South African Jayden Broodryk who once again punished them to the tune of 68 runs. Initially, with keeper Will Steward (29), he defied the best efforts of spinners Tom Greaves and Kapil Dave until the latter sharply turned a ball through Steward’s defence and finally had Broodryk snick one behind to Tidey. Greaves also chipped in with two wickets, but by then Hoddesdon only required 14 with 2 wickets left.
They managed this with the help of several wides (15 in the innings altogether) and left Reed frustrated at the narrow defeat for the second week running.
The team vow to work on the small margins needed to beat Harpenden on The Green next week.
Match report submitted by Peter Wholley.
