Reed Seconds travelled to Bayford and Hertford on Saturday for their Division 3B Herts. League Match. Winning the toss on a damp, cloudy and humid day, skipper Ed Garrott had no hesitation in putting the hosts into bat. His decision proved to be a good one as the opening bowling attack of Julien Fynn (10-4-13-1) and Owen Hughes (9-2-36-3) extracted bounce and movement in the conditions plus some good ground fielding had reduced Bayford to 19 for 3. Cavener (44) and Bruggemann (34) led a revival as fifty-partnerships were made for the next two wickets. Rupert Martin (8-0-38-1) and Anirudh Sudharshan (10-0-45-2) got amongst the wickets in the middle overs but some useful late runs took Bayford to 191 for 7 in their 50 overs.

In reply Phil Frenay and Richard Barlow found the drying pitch more to their liking, Frenay in particular playing shots on both sides of the wicket. He’d taken his score to 42 before he became the first of two wickets for Cavener. Barlow and Kallum Ward soon followed and Reed were wobbling at 67 for 3. Skipper Ed Garrott joined Mike Catt and whilst Catt was happy to play second fiddle, Garrott proceeded to dispatch any loose deliveries with a quick fire 23 off just 22 balls. Then Mike Robertson continued much in the same vain with 30 in 19 balls. However, his wicket left Reed at 136 for 5 in 33 overs. The B&H bowlers tightened the screw and wickets began to fall as the run rate increased. All the while Catt was biding his time, at 160 for 8 with 7 overs left, Owen Hughes came to join Catt at the crease. Both took their chances and had some good luck taking Reed needing 6 from the last over. After two dot balls, Hughes ran a risky two, missed the next ball but then dispatched the winning runs through square and ended 16 not out and deserved to be man of the match after his all-round performance. Catt made a well deserved 43 not out. An edge-of-the-seat nail-biter, indeed with several key players missing, Reed claimed a marvellous victory.

REED 2ND XI: (30 points) 194-8 in 49.5 overs, beat BAYFORD & HERTFORD (14 points) 191-7 in 50 overs, by 2 wickets.

Match report submitted by Neil Haslam.