2016 Match Reports
Reed's Under 12 beat Datchworth on Sunday on The Green. Some of these youngsters are not just Under 12 but UNDER TEN! Datchworth 95 all out Sam Osborne 4-17 Jack Beber 2-26 Ross Gardner 1-2 Adam Gardner 1-10 Reed 96 for 1 Sam Osborne 32* Charlie Walters 19 Jack Beber 10*
Reed edged a tight game against Dunstable by 3 wickets as the match see-sawed backwards and forwards. Dunstable were 131-3 with Essex 2nd XI player Ali (26) and Guy Hill (63) leading the charge, but new skipper, Tom Greaves (8-2-26-5) took 5 wickets for 7 runs and with Alex Mutucumarana taking the last two, they were all out for 143. Reed built their innings steadily with Chris Jackson top scoring on 33, but they too suffered a collapse from 106-3 to 117-7 until Sean Tidey's lusty knock of 20 from 17 balls, supported by Ed Wharton saw them home with 10 overs to spare. Report by Peter Wholley.
It was a warm and beautiful day at Reed headquarters as Woodcutters made their annual journey to play at The Green. Both sides had struggled to put out their strongest sides, none the less it was a fantastically enjoyable game. Reed were inserted by the visitors and quickly got the scoreboard ticking over. Peter Baker and Bill Mansfield both put the bad balls away as they made a quick 46 run partnership. John Kershaw replaced Baker (20) who had been bowled by one that kept a bit low. He too plundered runs as the boundaries were came thick and fast. On 47 Bill Mansfield tried taking the aerial route once too many times and was caught as the first drinks were taken after 15 overs with the score on 91. Things did not get better for Woodcutters as Rob Lankester strode to the crease. Playing with his now famous patience and skill he found scoring no trouble. A fine knock of 46 by John Kershaw finished when he was trapped LBW. Joe Graves coming in at 5 took the opportunity afforded to him to demonstrate his improved ability with the bat. He and Lankester put on 67 together in a tremendous partnership. Joe was caught for 20 just as the second drinks were taken, the score now 219 for 4 in the 30th. Lankester just did not stop. He persisted in his stylish stroke making and brought up three figures with one of his 22 boundaries. He would finish the innings undefeated with 122 runs to his name, an incredible effort that took Reed to their final total of 283 for 5. It didn’t take long for Reed to take the first wicket in the [...]
Reed III’s got off to an unconvincing start to the league season, losing to Pirton in a one-sided game. Due to last-minute drop-outs, Reed could only field 10 men. Reed won the toss and elected to bat, hoping to post a big total to offset the visitors, however this was not to be the case, the Reed batsmen scored fairly freely, taking advantage of the fast outfield, however wickets fell fairly frequently, Robert Willoughby (63) and Chris West (45) put on a good show, both hitting the ball cleanly and continually frustrating the Pirton bowlers, however Reed failed to build big partnerships, ending up all out for 166 in just 30.5 overs. Pirton’s response had a shaky start with opener Laskowski falling to Neil Haslam’s (6-0-40-1) first ball. This was to be the only wicket Reed would take as Clarke (33*) supported the aggressive Howard (112*) who continually smashed boundaries. The torrent of runs could have been allayed but Reed did not take the chances when they came, failing to hold on to a number of catches. In the end Pirton took just 18.3 overs to reach the target. A clear win for Pirton with Reed picking up 5 points. Report by Michael Robertson.
Despite being ravaged by injuries and last-minute illness, Reed 1st XI opened their league campaign with a comfortable 6 wicket victory over Stevenage. Their opponents lost wickets at regular intervals to the opening attack of Pete Tidey (10-1-21-1) and Ian Osborne (10-0-48-3). At 88-5 they were rocking, but a stubborn partnership of 51 between Andrew Joslin (46) and Shadrach Gittens-Browne (23) steadily re-built their innings. However, Alex Mutucumarana (8-1-29-2) winkled out both of them and they finished on 186-9 after 50 overs. In reply, Reed lost two quick wickets, but Will Heslam(79*) in 70+ run partnerships with Rob Lankester (42), who was in imperious form, and Richard Wharton (36) saw Reed home with 5 overs to spare. Man of the match, wicket-keeper Wharton also dismissed 4 batsmen, leaving Reed with a comfortable chase. Report submitted by Peter Wholley.
Reed 1st XI Vs Chorleywood 1st XI (played at The Green, Reed) Date: Monday 2 May 2016 Match Type: Readers County 20-20 Cup (Group C) Toss won by Chorleywood who elected to bat Result: Reed won by 6 wickets Chorleywood CC 104 for 9 (20 overs) E Wharton 3 for 31, S Tidey 2 for 18 Reed CC 106 for 4 (12.1 overs) W Heslam 31, S Smith 27*, M Sampson 22* With the bank holiday festivities out of the way, Chorleywood brought a weakened side having had 6 dropouts before the game. Chorleywood won the toss and elected to bat and made a very good start. They scored 10 off the first over, 9 off the second and 8 off the third and must have felt well set at 27 for 1 after 3 overs. But having lost that 1st wicket the away side could not build a platform and every bowler that came on was able to bowl dots and wickets fell at regular intervals. A. Dunning was dropped on 0 but went onto make a well-constructed 41 off 43 balls, but did not have the support at the other end and Chorleywood were restricted to 104 for 9 off 20 overs. Ed Wharton (3 for 31) and Sean Tidey (2 for 18) were the pick of the bowlers. Reed CC would have been pleased with the swiftness in which the runs were knocked off but in truth would have been disappointed losing 4 wickets. Some tired legs and tired minds may have contributed to a few wickets but Will Heslam (31), Stuart Smith (27 not out) and Matt Sampson (22 not out) all scored better than a run a ball to seal [...]
A youthful Reed IV’s team made the journey down to Mayfield CC on Saturday. Greeted by a very slow outfield and a wicket that looked as if it could deliver a few surprises captain Bowman fancied a bowl and trusted Owen “Iron boots” Hughes (2-8) and Matt Yates (1-33) with the new ball, both returning good figures. Bowman then turned to the spin of Emes (1-31) and unpredictability of Steve Hughes (2-64) and inspired captaincy it was too, Emes striking with just his first ball. Mayfield looked rattled at 43-5 but Kureshi(36), Starck(25) and Patel(42) stuck around and contributed runs to help Mayfield finish on 176 all out. After teas Reed prepared to bat, opening pair Johnson and R. Willoughby both started well striking boundaries in the first two overs. After that it went somewhat downhill as Reed fell foul to a devastating spell of slow bowling by Cullen (5-14) who dismissed the top four in the space of six balls. Moody, accompanied by talismanic skipper Bowman steadied the ship but a chase never looked on the cards and Reed continued to lose regular wickets ending on a disappointing 60 all out. Report submitted by Ben Moody.
Reed entertained a Northampton Exiles XI in a hastily arranged friendly on Saturday. Under uncharacteristic blue skies and the unseasonal icy wind, the visitors made steady progress against the new ball, until Josh Conley (3-37) removed their top order. Only Amar Patel resisted with a patient 63, having survived a sharp caught and bowled chance off Conley's final ball, as Reed chipped away, taking wickets on a regular basis. Tom Greaves (2-27) flushed out the middle order whilst Will Heslam (1-15) and Phil Frenay (2-19) cleaned out the tail in uncustomary roles as the 'fifth' bowler. When Patel was run out Exiles finished on 154. In reply the Heslam brothers never looked in any trouble as they cantered to an opening stand of 126 off 23 overs, both retiring fittingly with 56 apiece. The match was swiftly concluded by Chris Jackson (7*) and Rob Lankester (20*), the latter hoisting a huge maximum over the bowler's head. Hence Reed won by 10 wickets as a warm up for some more demanding challenges to come this season. Report by Peter Wholley.
Sundays for Reed re-started for the 2016 season on a cold, grey afternoon in late April. Reed had travelled down to beautiful Preston for the annual pre-season friendly. Marcus J.E. Baker asked his hosts to bat as his side started the process of blowing the cobwebs out of the system. Things did not start well for Reed as Mercer and Anderson attacked the uncertain opening overs of Joe Graves and Owen Hughes. Preston were racing along at 10 an over and a long, cold, miserable afternoon in the field was looking likely. However, much to their credit both Graves and Hughes showed some real character and kept charging in. The pair started to find some troubling lines and before long the runs were starting to dry up. Baker decided to save some of Hughes’s overs for later in the piece so replaced him in the tenth over with Jack Childs. The change seemed to work as Childs made the breakthrough with the score on 77 thanks to a catch by Ed Garrott. Joe Graves meanwhile was replaced by Garrott. The dramatic fight back shown by Graves meant he had ended up bowling through his full quota of overs, unluckily wicket less. Childs persisted with his fantastic spell taking regular wickets, Preston’s strong batting order was faltering. Needing a wicket from his final over to finish with five to his name he left it to the last ball when a clean pull shot was plucked from the air by Baker. Removing the opposition top 5 for 32 is never a bad way to start the season. Baker then join Garrott in sending spin down at the lower order batsman. Both took wickets but Garrott in particular [...]
Jackson Chris-ens New Season with a Half Century and a Win Reed 1st XI Vs Hornsey 1st XI (played at The Green, Reed) Date: Saturday 23 April 2016 Match Type: Friendly Toss won by Hornsey who elected to field Result: Reed won by 11 runs Reed CC 173 for 9 (40 overs) C Jackson 55, T Greaves 31 Hornsey CC 162 for 9 (40 overs) T Greaves 3 for 35, E Wharton 2 for 15 Tom Greaves officially starts his reign as 1st XI captain on the field on May 5 when his side travel to Stevenage for the first league game of the season. His side look to have prepared well over the winter winning their opening friendly of the season against a strong Hornsey 1st XI by 11 runs. Paul Weekes, formally a professional cricketer for Middlesex CC between 1990 and 2006, called correctly at the toss and elected to field which seemed sensible as the conditions were suitable for swinging the ball and the wicket offered assistance to bowlers who could move the ball off the seam. Hornsey took advantage of the conditions and removed the Reed top three cheaply. But a solid 71 run partnership between Chris Jackson (55) and Tom Greaves (31) helped steady the ship and rebuild the innings. Sean Tidey chipped in with a quick fire 25 and everyone else contributed to help Reed get to a competitive total of 173 for 9 after 40 overs. Reed took to the field in the knowledge that if they bowled and fielded well, then 173 would be a competitive total with a wicket that still offered enough to the bowlers. Debutant Ed Wharton (2 for 15) soon extracted something from [...]