Reed II’s went down to Welwyn Garden city III’s on Saturday, despite a record breaking partnership and their highest batting score of the season so far.Captain Jason Archer won the toss and elected to bat at Welwyn. Reed sent in openers Ben Bowles and Fergus Martin to build their total, and the opening stance was a slow yet solid. The score was moving towards the half century mark when a mix up left Martin scrambling towards the strikers end, where unfortunately a sharp piece of fielding led to him being run out for 21. This brought new boy Mark King to the crease, and in conjunction with Bowles a new Reed II’s highest 2nd wicket partnership was set.Almost 150 runs were scored before the next wicket went down, with Ben Bowles falling agonisingly short of a half century, on 48 when he was given out LBW. In the mean time King had raced along, and with some wonderful timing and good shot selection had given the WGC bowlers a torrid time. King reached his half century and then his first Reed century in short time.King progressed to 127, before he pulled a hamstring and was forced to retire hurt. Ian Fulk (17) and Chris Shorrock (16 Not Out) added valuable extra runs to the Reed score as they posted what looked to be a a daunting 249-3 in their allotted 53 overs.Reed’s task of defending their total was dealt a blow before it got going when ‘keeper/batsmen King was unable to continue after his hamstring injury, sustained when batting, proved too painful. This meant Reed were left with one man down in the field, and with a part time wicket keeper. Matt Bowles was forced [...]

Reed 1XI lost their first League game of the season on Saturday as they lost to a spirited Watford Town by 3 wickets. However, despite their loss, Reed remain at the top of Division 2 with only a handful of games remaining.The game began with Reed winning the toss and electing to bat on a warm day at The Green. With a flat wicket in prospect, Watford’s opening bowlers J van de Ee (7.3-1-34-4) toiled without initial success in partnership with K Afridi (5-0-15-1) as Baz Curtis (14) and James Heslam (24) plundered early runs to take the score to 38. It took a special catch for van de Ee at square leg to stop a full blooded pull stroke from Heslam and bring Watford their first wicket.When spinner A Manzoor (22-5-77-5) was introduced to the attack, the situation changed immediately, as Curtis fell caught in the covers. With Chris Jackson (6) at the crease, Reed hoped to settle the situation, but he too fell to a soft caught and bowled dismissal. Phil Frenay (70) came to the crease seeking to settle the ship with Tom Fulk (10), but when Fulk became frustrated, tied by some tight bowling from Manzoor and S Prodger (8-0-26-0), Reed were reeling on 85 for 5. The situation deteriorated again for Reed when Marcus Martin fell to Manzoor for 1.Meanwhile Phil Frenay continued to occupy crease time, and graft before he released some explosive shots that characterise his batting armoury. Assisted by Simon Jackson (44), and subsequently by William Clarke (30), Reed managed to accelerate their score significantly and deal a tough strike to Watford as they accelerated the score over 200 in a short space of time. The reintroduction [...]

Reed 3rd XI continued their good start to the season with a convincing win over Ware 2nd XI, at our new home ground in Sandon.Captain Peter Baker won the toss and elected to field. It looked like it might be a long afternoon in the field with both of the openers hitting fours over the top of the bowlers heads. However, the break through soon came with Haslam (2-21) clean bowling the opener. The next wicket soon fell with Willoughby taking a catch off Kieran Ward's (3-23) bowling. After the openers had been dismissed the remainder of the wickets were quick to follow with tight swing bowling from Haslam, Ward, and Roberts (5-3) who came on as the first change. Swain also contributed by taking a good catch at Mid- off. Ware were eventually all out for 52 runs.Reed came out to bat before tea had even been delivered to the pavillion. Swain opened and scored an unbeaten 24. Marcus Baker made a valuable contribution scoring a good 16. Heslam then came into help knock the remaining few runs off scoring 9 not out. The runs were knocked off for only 3 wickets. A good all round performance by the whole team especially in the field.

Reed maintained their top-of-the-table position on Saturday as they picked up their fourth successive 30 points in as many games after toppling Totteridge by 68 runs in a wet finish to the game. Reed now have the maximum 120 points from their 4 Herts League games, and are already showing ominous signs of form for the remainder of the season.Having won the toss, skipper James Heslam elected to bat, continuing Reed’s fine run at setting challenging totals. True to form, Heslam (58) and Curtis (80) did not let their side down as the pair brandished some expansive strokes to build a first innings partnership of 147 in only 27 overs. Curtis, Reed 1XI’s leading League run scorer so far this season, played some punishing off and cover drives, whilst Heslam demonstrated some text book shots of his own. Both openers A Sutaira (12-2-57-0) and Siddiqui (8-1-42-0) suffered. It was only when Imran Khan (19-1-78-5) was introduced to the attack, and he found his line, did Totteridge begin to find rewards. Khan urged Heslam into playing a loose stroke to point, and shortly thereafter Curtis fell caught behind of a fine edge. With new batsmen Richard Johnson (0) and Chris Jackson (45) at the crease, Reed hoped to consolidate, but Khan struck again having Johnson, caught at short midwicket, with a lazy shot for a duck.Totteridge looked like they were on top, but a thoughtful innings from both C Jackson and William Clarke (32) steadied the ship, as the pair batted responsibly defending good balls, and punishing poor deliveries to build a partnership of 71 taking the score to 218 in 48 overs. Both Clarke and Jackson fell trying to push the score in the closing [...]

Reed II’s hosted Tewin on Saturday on a blazing hot day at ‘The Green’, still in search of their first win of the season.Tewin won the toss, and opted to put Reed into bat, a decision that looked entirely justified when opener Matt Bowles edged to gully after only 3 balls, and number 3 batsman Stuart Smith (10) ran himself out in somewhat bizarre circumstances in the 9th Over with the score on 25. Ben Bowles was looking solid however, and along with Ian Fulk (4) began to steady the ship but when Fulk was trapped LBW with the on only 48, Reed began to fear the worst. Ben Bowles was playing magnificently however, and looked certain to make at least a half century, when he top edged spinner Smith to fine leg whilst on 42.Chris Shorrock and Karl Ward were now in charge of rescuing the Reed innings, and Shorrock in particular relished the challenge ahead. Shorrock played some brilliant shots, taking the Tewin bowling apart at every opportunity. Ward added a valuable 15 runs before he was trapped plumb LBW by Aylieff, and further woe was to follow soon after for Reed when Richard Roberson was bowled for 8. Shorrock was then joined by Dale Shepherd at the crease, and continued to make run scoring look easy. He reached a sublime half century, and just as it looked he would push on towards a century, he fell victim to a highly contentious stumping decision for 53.Reed were now at 171 for 7 with 44 of their allotted 53 Overs passed, and Tewin must have fancied their chances of removing the Reed tail cheaply. However, they had not reckoned on a brutal and superb [...]

Reed 3rd XI maintained their push for promotion from Herts League Division 12 with a very substantive victory over fellow promotion challengers Stevenage V.Winning the toss Reed chose to bat first on a rare 2007 hot and sunny afternoon and after the early loss of opener Baker 16 year old Fergus Martin and veteran skipper John Heslam, 40 years his senior, set about building Reeds formidable total. The pair eventually amassed a new record Reed 3rd XI 2nd wicket partnership of 147 before the elegant Martin was caught for 51. Heslam meanwhile continued to take the attack to the Stevenage bowlers and plunered them for a fine century which included 17 x 4's. Heslam was supported by good contributions from Michael Robertson 20 and Masseh Naeem 28 before he fell bowled for 105. Ward18 nout out batted through with Naeem until the Reed declaration at 240 - 5 off only 42 overs.In reply Stevenage were always struggling against an accurate Reed bowling attack and fine catching. Rupert Martin 8 overs 2-6, and Neil Haslam 2-23 inflicted the early damage ell supported by superb catches by Martin himself, Masseh Naeem and Peter Baker. Ian Roberts then kept Stevenage under a tight rein with 10 overs 2-15 before Ward with 2.2 overs 3-10 administerd the last rights to a shell shocked Stevenage team who despite recovering from 35-5 could only muster 123 all out from their 37.2 overs leaving Reed winners by 117 runs.