Reed U11s started the season in fine fashion with 4 wins in two weeks with the A and B team recording two victories a piece.
The first and most impressive victory came away to Hitchin in the first game for the A team. Up against a strong team comprising of a number of Herts District players away from home, Reed opening pair of their Captain Josh Heslam (25 retired) and Ethan Fox (13) off the back of a prolific season last year playing a year up set off in typical fashion batting sensibly and running excellently between the wickets taking the score to 51 for 1 off 9 overs and setting a positive tone for the team. Unfortunately when they both departed Reed suffered a middle order collapse not helped by a few run outs which left things to the last 3 Reed batters, Matthew Jackson, Oliver Kimsey and Zak Rouse to importantly chip in with a few later order runs again running well between the wickets and ensuring Reed batted their full allocation collecting additional extras along the way and closing on 106 for 8. This proved it’s worth as the strong Reed bowling and fielding outfit managed to squeeze the Hitchin batting line up. At 33 for 4 off 10 the home side were well behind the rate. Although they rallied well consistent bowling throughout by Reed contained Hitchin to 82 all out in the final over. Wickets and good economy were shared around the superb Reed attack with the pick of the bowling stats Matthew Jackson with 2 for 4 off his two overs including a fine take by Fox behind the stumps.
The second league game saw a far more comfortable victory at Datchworth where the Reed top order fired strongly. Josh Heslam (26 retired), Ethan Fox (25 retired), Eddie Heslam (27 retired), Jon Green (18) and Henry Cook (11) saw Reed to post an intimidating 147 for 3 off 20 overs. This was always going to be a tough task for the Datchworth batters against Reed’s bowling and fielding and so it proved with the home side being contained to just 36 for 9 in their 20 overs. As with the Hitchin game everyone bowled well with two wickets a piece this time to Jackson, Kimsey, Isaac Skeggs and Charlie Ingrey who looks to have inherited his father Ben’s natural fast bowling prowess and has been a welcome addition to this season’s squad.
The B team playing in the new paired Hundred format had their first match away to Braughing, where they managed to contain the home side to 260 (net) in their 100 balls. Two wickets for Kimsey and 1 for Rouse and Green. In reply it was nip and tuck but eventually Reed prevailed in the final over of the game reaching 269 (net) in their 100 balls, the pick of the batters were Green, Liam Nash and Jack Jones.
In their second match they took on a fairly strong looking Bishop’s Stortford B team in the first home game for the U11s this season and again came out on top this time by an even tighter margin of 4 runs. Reed batted first and scored a competitive 265 (net) in their 100 balls with the leading batters E Heslam, Jackson and Green. Again the Reed bowling came to the fore restricting a decent Stortford batting line up to 261 (net) with the wickets shared around, Luke Wilson taking two including a nerveless final over and 1 each for Jackson, E Heslam, Jones and Skeggs as well as to note debutant Charles-Victor Webber bowling tightly. An excellent team effort.
This week Reed A are at home to Letchworth on Tuesday and Reed B away to St Margaretsbury B on Wednesday both hoping to stay unbeaten.
Report submitted by James Heslam.
