After a tense finish on Harpenden Common the Firsts edged a draw to prevent this season being a total whitewash. This was in no small measure due to some excellent individual performances, notably by Tom Greaves and Ed Wharton.
A familiar pattern seemed to be emerging when, on a superb batting track, James Latham and 16-year-old Danyaal Khaliid built a chanceless 235-run partnership for Harpenden’s second wicket. When Khalid slapped Wharton in his second spell to Greaves at silly mid-wicket for 84 a total beyond 300 appeared inevitable. However, Wharton curtailed Harpenden’s ambitions with a typically aggressive spell, exerting bounce out of the placid wicket to finish with 6 for 72 in a total of 271 for 6 declared after 52 overs. This included three wickets in his final over as well as the scalp of Latham for a magnificent 147.
Reed replied in customary fashion losing two quick wickets, but Rob Lankester and Greaves repeated their stand earlier in the season against their hosts, putting on 91 invaluable runs. When Lankester was out L.B.W. for a patient 51, Greaves and Wharton took over in more characteristic Reed style, smashing another 68 runs in just 10 overs leaving Harpenden beginning to rue their early declaration. However, with Wharton’s departure for 29 Reed’s vicissitudes started to show. Earlier Sunil Patil had been drafted into the team to keep Wicket after the late withdrawal of Sean Tidey and Michael Juckes had bravely stepped up for his first team debut as Sam Osborne, last week’s top scorer, was suffering from back spasms. Worse was to follow when Patil badly jarred his shoulder when keeping. As a result, the lower order looked particularly vulnerable. Greaves did his best to hold the fort, but a variety of dismissals sparked a collapse, which looked terminal when Greaves sliced a catch to cover, out agonisingly for 99 with 12 boundaries and 2 maximums.
With 9 wickets down, facing the last over was Kapil Dave. Harpenden’s pacy opening bowler jarred his shoulder after two balls so their wily spinner Ashley Sivarajah (3-47) had 4 balls with every fielder crowding the bat. Dave held his nerve, however, and calmly defended the over to ensure Reed had avoided defeat for the first time this season, finishing on 215 for 9.
A plucky display then, with a draw earned against what seemed overwhelming odds at the beginning of the match.
Match report submitted by Peter Wholley.
