Peter G. Baker, Author at Reed Cricket Club

Poor day for the batsmen in Low Scoring Game

It was a day that ended in unbelievable misery. Having inserted their visitors Langlebury (close third place to our first) Reed were on top of the world when they bowled them out for just 93. The track was very tacky from the weeks rain with the odd ball popping slightly but it was far from a minefield. The wickets were shared amongst Karl Ward (1), Matt Sampson (1), Jack Caine (2) and Peter Tidey (1) plus the added bonus of a run out. The stand out performer with the ball however was the returning Ian Osborne who struck four times. Reed knew that it would not be a cakewalk but the low target of 93 is one that should be chased no matter what the conditions. Richard Barlow and Richard Johnson opened the Reed response and Barlow was just starting to get going when the bowler dived and stretched to take a catch. Matt Sampson joined Johnson at the crease and both looked in good touch as they worked the ball about. Reed made it to 48 for 1 when Langlebury introduced a new bowler coming up the hill. Wanting to dominate the spinner from the start both batsmen looked to attack him early but paid dearly for it with both men falling in the same over. Langlebury sniffed blood and never let up, the incoming batsmen then failed to apply themselves to face up to the pressure of the situation. For such a talented line up it was a very limp showing. Reed's final wicket fell with the score on 71. This disappointing result sees Reed drop to third place. However, Reed still has a strong squad of players with the skill, work ethic [...]

By Peter G. Baker|2016-06-06T12:13:31+01:00June 6th, 2016|Categories: 2016, 2016 Match Report|Tags: 2nd XI v. Langleybury (SHPCL Division 4B)|Comments Off

No-nonsense Nussey makes sure of victory

Reed IV versus Old Owens III at Coopers Lane, Potters Bar, on Saturday 4th June 2016. “Tails never fails” for Reed skipper Lloyd Bowman when he once more called correctly at the toss then inserted the hosts at Old Owens’ second pitch. With a touch of moisture in the surface, Jake Gifford extracted some lively bounce as Old O’s progressed quietly to 27 when he had Patel edging behind to Bowman at the end of the ninth over. Fellow opening bowler, Steve Hughes, was almost unplayable as the cautious batsmen were keen to preserve their wickets. However, Martin Johnson struck with his first delivery when Peter Baker snaffled one in the slips and Jack Wilkerson bowled Tyler for 23. Soon after, Sam Karr took an excellent low-down catch at extra cover off Johnson’s bowling leaving Owens at 70 for 4 at drinks. There then followed an extraordinary period of play as Jonny Adam proceeded to claim 4 victims in just 3 overs thanks to fine catches by Paul Garrott and Wilkerson and two more batsmen clean bowled. Now at 89 with their last pair at the crease, the O-O’s captain, Alan Hunter required support from last man, Tony Palmer. He did precisely that and it took a further 11 overs before Palmer was removed for a well-made 20, caught off an under-edge by keeper, Bowman, from Wilkerson’s bowling. Crucially the partnership was worth 82 and Hunter remained undefeated on 66. Reed required 172 for victory. The experienced Paul Garrott and Peter Baker opened the innings but were soon split when Garrott was caught behind the wicket when the score was on 19. This brought the entrance of the hard-hitting Bill Mansfield and he and Baker [...]

By Peter G. Baker|2016-12-27T13:11:32+00:00June 5th, 2016|Categories: 2016, 2016 Match Report|Tags: 4th XI v. Old Owens (SHPCL Regional Division B East)|Comments Off

Reed 1sts crush Langleybury for the loss of just 1 wicket

Reed bowled out Langleybury for a paltry 98 on a lively wicket, despite the heavy rain during the week. On only the second ball Richard Wharton stumped the Langleybury opener standing well back to his brother, Ed! This was a prelude to a collapse as the hosts slumped to 28-5 with Wharton taking two more, Mitchell Cooper and Toby Fynn claiming the other two. Only Rhys Williams with 29 not out staved off a rout, but the returning Wharton (10-4-22-4) and Fynn (8-1-30-4) polished off the tail. A slow, but steady response from Reed's openers laid the platform for a comfortable chase and an unbeaten second wicket partnership of 71 by Richard Wharton (57 not out) and Rob Lankester (23 not out) sealed the victory in 22 overs. Khalid Manzoor's 1-17 from 8 overs was all that held up Reed's batsmen, who accelerated well towards the end of the innings. It was Reed's fourth win in five of the 50 over encounters that began the league season. Next weekend they face Hoddesdon in the Herts League on Saturday then, on Sunday, Long Marston in the Regional Final of the National Village Cup. Report submitted by Peter Wholley.

By Peter G. Baker|2016-12-27T13:11:34+00:00June 5th, 2016|Categories: 2016, 2016 Match Report|Tags: 1st XI v. Langleybury (SHPCL Championship Division)|Comments Off

Headlines – 4th / 5th June

Saturday: 1sts: No trouble for the Wharton bros as Ed takes a "4-fer" and Richard scores 57 not out in overhauling Langleybury's 98 as Reed win by 9 wickets. Toby Fynn also took 4 wickets. Reed Is are now in 2nd place in the Championship Division. 2nds: Meanwhile at home, Langleybury IIs scored 98 all out, (4 wickets for Ian Osbourne), but Reed II managed only 71 in reply, (top-scorer being Richard Johnson with 28), and slipped down to 3rd place. 3rds: A welcome win put Reed IIIs in 6th position as Mike Robertson led the way with the bat. He scored 44 not out as Reed won by 6 wickets chasing Harpenden's 130. Julien Fynn and Ian Roberts had taken 3 wickets each. 4ths: Another victory kept the the Fourths in 2nd position. Old Owens scored 171 all-out with Jonny Adams the major wicket-taker claiming 4. Reed's runs came from Tom Nussey, 52 not out, and forties by Bill Mansfield and Peter Baker as Reed reached the target with 7 wickets and 12 overs in-hand. Sunday: Lankester Leads from the front, 127 not out in 3 wicket win. Expect Match Reports to follow shortly. PGB.

By Peter G. Baker|2016-06-06T07:15:53+01:00June 4th, 2016|Categories: 2016, News|Tags: Headlines|Comments Off

The 4ths “Press-on” with win over Preston

Reed Fours entertained Preston Fours at The Freman Oval on Saturday 28th May. Skipper Lloyd Bowman called correctly and asked Preston to bat first. The opening attack of left-armer Matt Yates (6-0-17-0) and the medium pace of Neil Haslam (8-1-23-0) bowled accurately and the Preston openers Maxwell and Newell found runs hard to come by, reaching only 58-0 in 15 overs. Having bowled his compliment Haslam gave way to Kieran Willoughby and Yates was replaced by Steve Hughes. Although Willoughby (6-0-33-0) couldn’t find any consistent line and length in his spell, the batsman failed to punish him significantly. Preston had moved to 88 when Hughes (8-0-45-1) had Maxwell caught by Yates for 42. This brought the Preston skipper Saunders and he and Newell began to up the run rate. Leg-spinner Toby Emes (6-0-39-2) had come on to replace Willoughby, and with the score on 139 he forced a mis-hit from Saunders and Bowman took the catch. Number Four Taylor stay at the crease didn’t last long as he was bowled emphatically by Sam Deville (6-1-32-1) and Emes took his second wicket bowling Holt for a duck. Preston were now 162-4 with overs running out. Newell passed his fifty and with Neale took Preston to 206-4 in their 40 overs. Probably 30 runs short on the good Freman wicket. Reed opened their reply with Paul Garrott and Matt Yates. Both applied themselves to the task in hand taking no risks. Preston skipper Saunders was forced to change his bowlers on a regular basis. Garrott with his delicate touch around the field was now getting into his stride and he was more than ably supported by Yates who drove and cut the ball superbly. The score had [...]

By Peter G. Baker|2016-06-01T13:52:02+01:00June 1st, 2016|Categories: 2016, 2016 Match Report|Tags: 4th XI v. Preston (SHPCL Regional Division B East)|Comments Off

Disappointing batting display leaves the Thirds miles adrift

Reed III versus Luton Town and Indians IV at Lancaster Avenue, Luton, on Saturday 28th May 2016. For the first 35 overs of this match, Reed appeared to have a firm grasp as the hosts were struggling on 138 for 8. The opening attack of Joe Graves and Josh Conley had bowled with venom conceding only 33 and 34 runs respectively off their 10-over allocations. The change bowlers were more successful as wickets fell to the rhythmic Ian Roberts (2 for 27), and the teenaged pair of Jake Gifford (2 for 18) and Jack Wilkerson (3 for 32). Mike Robertson, then Julien Fynn took 1 wicket each but the LT&I CC final two partnerships had added a further crucial 53 runs, closing on 191 all-out. As it turned out, even 140 would have proved to be too many for Reed to chase. The turbaned slow-bowler, Singh, ran through the top order taking 3 wickets with only Martin Johnson making an impression with 15. Maseeh Naeem again found some form and top-scored with 30 and accompanied by Ben Moody (17) put-up some resistance. However, once they had been removed, the end was close. Dalvi completed a spell of 6 for 27 as Reed totalled just 82 in fewer than 25 overs. Reed III (10 points) lost to Luton Town and Indians IV (30 points) by 109 runs. Report submitted by PGB.

By Peter G. Baker|2016-05-30T09:16:35+01:00May 30th, 2016|Categories: 2016, 2016 Match Report|Tags: 3rd XI v. Luton Town and Indians (SHPCL Division 8A)|Comments Off

King Karl leads team’s Krucial Komeback, 30 for 5 to 30 points

Reed Seconds made the journey to St Albans for the last match of May. Once again availability was poor throughout the club and so the second eleven were giving several players a great opportunity to prove themselves at the slightly higher standard. In the presence of the large, classic pavilion, a throw back to the ‘Golden Era’, Marcus Martin won the toss and decided to bat. Despite a great looking batting track Reed really struggled against the opening bowlers of A. Button and R. O’Toole. Both bowlers were getting the ball to move and table-topping Reed were being humbled by their hosts. Slumping to a disastrous 30 for 5 Reed were in real peril. However, St Albans captain R. O’Toole was forced to take himself off due to a strain as well as A. Button due to age restrictions. This moment proved to be the crucial one of the match. The pressure was immediately lifted as the young first change bowlers struggled to find the right line as wides started to come thick and fast, with extras becoming top scorer. Martin and number 7 Matt Bowles worked hard to save the situation for Reed. Putting on 50 for the 6th wicket when Martin (21) fell. Karl Ward replacing him played some fluid shots early on and he and Bowles continued to fight back adding 56. With each run Reed gained some confidence as they gradually made a total to defend. A single loss of concentration cost Bowles his wicket but his superb innings of 32 was the backbone of the visitors' score. Ward then worked with the tail and in the process reminded everyone of his true all-round abilities with a timely 55. It was [...]

By Peter G. Baker|2016-12-27T13:11:38+00:00May 30th, 2016|Categories: 2016, 2016 Match Report|Tags: 2nd XI v. St Albans (SHPCL Division 4B)|Comments Off

A battling 8th wicket stand by Sean Tidey and Mitchell Cooper sees Reed home

Reed plucked victory from the jaws of defeat against Hemel Hempstead. Last year's Premiership side looked to have the game sewn up by reducing Reed to 105-7 chasing 161, but a battling partnership between Sean Tidey (36) and Mitchell Cooper (23 not out) saw Reed home by 2 wickets. Hemel struggled to find any tempo against an economical Reed attack with Mitchell Cooper, Toby Fynn (10-1-23-1) and Reece Fitzgerald (10-1-31-0) all bowling a fine line and length. Only opener, Hemish Llangaratne with a patient 50 defied the bowlers. However, Tom Greaves turned the match with a second spell of 5 overs 4-14. Mitchell Cooper (9.3-1-29-4) then mopped up the tail in the last over to leave the hosts with a modest target. However, Reed were soon in trouble at 4-2, needing the resilience of Rob Lankester and Chris Jackson to build their innings. When Jackson was out for 36 still needing 56 to win with 3 wickets remaining all seemed lost, but first Tidey and then Cooper dispatched the visitors' attack to the boundary to secure a third league victory out of four and maintain Reed's 2nd position in the Championship table. Report submitted by Peter Wholley.

By Peter G. Baker|2016-12-27T13:11:39+00:00May 30th, 2016|Categories: 2016, 2016 Match Report|Tags: 1st XI v. Hemel Hempstead (SHPCL Championship Division)|Comments Off

Headlines – 28th / 29th May

Saturday 1sts: Mitch Cooper had a grand day seeing Reed home in a 2 wicket win after taking 4 Hemel wickets earlier. Skipper Greaves also snared 4 victims whilst Chris Jackson and Sean Tidey scored thirties in the run-chase. Saturday 2nds: A fifty by Karl Ward and a thirty from Matt Bowles rescued Reed from the depths of 30 for 5 to a defendable 195 all-out away at St Albans. The hosts were 44 runs short as wickets were shared round. Saturday 3rds: Luton Town & Indians were also rescued by their last 2 partnerships and should have been bowled-out for 140-ish but in the end totalled 192. Newcomers, Jack Wilkerson (3), Jake Gifford (2) and "old-comer" Ian Roberts (2) claimed the wickets. Reed replied with a disappointing 82, 30 of which came from the bat of Maseeh Naeem. Saturday 4ths: This was an outstanding victory as Preston lost only 4 wickets compiling 206, which at the Freman Oval is well below par. In the second innings, makeshift opener Matt Yates hit 37, Paul Garrott 73 and Sam Deville 73 not out as Reed romped it in just 37 overs. Sunday, Village Cup: Reed won by 73 runs. Phil Frenay and Chris Jackson led the way with the bat scoring half-centuries in Reed's 204 for 9. Northchurch were well short at 131 all out. Reed will be at home to Long Marston in the next round on 12th June. Sunday XI: Meanwhile back at The Green, Ashwell failed to appear for some unknown reason leaving Reed's players amusing themselves with a 6-a-side, 15 over match. Expect Match Reports shortly.

By Peter G. Baker|2016-05-29T19:54:45+01:00May 29th, 2016|Categories: 2016, News|Tags: Headlines|Comments Off

Johnson powers depleted Reed to victory

After defeat in their opening fixture Reed IV's welcomed Potters Bar to Freman College in their first home fixture of the season. With just 10 men skipper Bowman opted to bowl first. Jake Gifford (6-0-22-2) opened the bowling and began testing the batsman from the start and with the spin of Martin Johnson (5-0-18-2) tying down the batsman at the other end; runs were hard to come by in the first few overs. Gifford finally got his reward forcing both openers to nick behind to Bowman. Not to be underdone by his fellow opener, Johnson also claimed two quick wickets. Change bowlers Steve Hughes (5-0-22-2) and Bill Mansfield (7.5-0-27-3) carried on the good work from the openers and at 57-8 Potters Bar were struggling. A ninth wicket partnership of 32 then frustrated Reed before Jonathan Adam made the breakthrough and Bill Mansfield then claimed the final wicket following a great catch at square leg by Ben Mansfield as Potters Bar were all out for 108 after 26.5 overs. As clouds began to gather around Freman during tea, it was clear that the weather may become a factor later in the afternoon and openers Johnson and Kieran Willoughby set out to score quickly from the offset punishing anything short or offline from openers Barnes (4-0-29-0) and Sarin (4-0-32-0) to the boundary. Johnson looked in fine form before unfortunately being bowled for 49 as Reed were just shy of the total. Fortunately for Reed as the rain looked likely to threaten, Bill Mansfield (12 not out) and Kieran Willoughby (34 not out) quickly steered Reed side home in just 12 overs. A great performance by a depleted Reed side, for their first victory of the 2016 season. [...]

By Peter G. Baker|2016-05-26T17:32:15+01:00May 26th, 2016|Categories: 2016, 2016 Match Report|Tags: 4th XI v. Potters Bar (SHPCL Regional Division B East)|Comments Off

About Peter G. Baker