Averages, 2016: Sunday (Friendly) XI
ROBERTSone hundred ENDS SEASON WITH TENSE TIE!
Runs came thick and fast as the final game of the season played out to an exciting conclusion. Inserting the visiting Waresley, M.J.E. Baker was pleased to see Jack Childs take an early wicket. Owen Hughes meanwhile applied pressure from the other end with his tight line. The rest of the first innings then ebbed and flowed back and forth between the hosts and the visitors. The only constant was Brawlie whose superb knock of 100 for the visitors proved the backbone of their final total of 231 for 4. Sam Rice bowled one of his best spells but somehow came away wicketless. Rob Lankester meanwhile proved luckier taking a wicket, a catch and run out to prove his all-round ability. Toby Emes was the other wicket taker from his seven overs. After tea, Reed had a tense start with an early loss following after what would prove to be a costly drop. Michael Robertson tapped his first ball to mid-off only to see it go to ground. He never looked back. Given complete free license from his captain, Robertson unleashed hellfire in a complete blitz. He reached three figures in close to no time before retiring. Reed were now in a comfortable position with plenty of time left in the innings and a long batting order. Needing under a hundred seemed no problem. However, batsmen seemed to find ways of getting out. Jack Caine (33) and Baker (43) were the only other batsmen to make it into double figures. Baker had all but taken his side home before losing his wicket with just 9 required. It went down to the final wicket. Sam Rice played a superb shot down the ground leaving Reed with [...]
Headlines – 10th / 11th September
SATURDAY: Great for ducks! Cancelled because of the rain. SUNDAY: Not so many Ducks today; 1 on each side. For a bit of symmetry, there was also 1 ton on each side too. For Reed, who were chasing Waresley's 231 for 4, it was Mike Robertson's turn to notch-up a hard-hit hundred. MJEB scored 43 but amazingly this final match of the season ended in a tie. Expect a full Match Report to follow soon. PGB
“The Lawn Ranger” rides again as Joe Graves hits maiden century
It's always such a pleasure when, as a captain, you get to witness the improvement that a player makes over the course of time. For Joe Graves, the fourth of September 2016 will always stick with him as the day the label of batting potential was replaced with the label of proven ability. Having won the toss and electing to bat, Marcus J.E. Baker saw his side make a gentle start with Peter Baker and Jack Childs making a stable platform for the team. 46 was on the board when Childs was caught for 21. Graves, in at 3, played a mature and measured innings as he played himself in before cashing in against the bad balls. He soon overtook Baker and rushed towards his maiden half-century and made a century partnership with the veteran. Baker himself closing in on a deserved fifty decided on the ultimate sacrifice when he retired on 46 allowing others to have their chance at the crease with overs running out. Young Ben Mansfield accepted this opportunity with an impressive 36 not out. But it was Graves that took the applause as he continued to play in the same well-tempered manner that has seen him score throughout the season. Realising his potential he brought up three figures taking Reed to a final total of 249 for 4. In the second innings tight bowling and good fielding restricted the oppositions scoring. The bowlers were rotated giving nearly everyone a turn with wickets going to Owen Hughes, Childs, Rob Lankester, Neil Haslam and M.J.E. Baker. Reed easily winning by 104 runs. Report submitted by MJEB.
A very damp finish to the season for 4th XI
On an overcast afternoon with rain forecast, Harpenden invited Reed to bat. Martin Johnson (2) arrived just in time to open the batting alongside Paul Garrott but then lost his wicket early. There is a moral in that tale. Wickets fell at regular intervals throughout the Reed innings, with Garrott (75) again playing an anchor role for the majority of the innings, in which he had a 69-run, 5th wicket partnership with Bill Mansfield (39). Sam Rice (14) and Ben Mansfield (11) were the only other batsmen to record a double-digit score. With a little flourish towards the end of innings Reed reached 190 for 9 off 40 overs. Reed having got through the innings un-interrupted despite some heavy drizzle falling. In reply Harpenden reached 114 for 3 off 21 overs, before the now heavier persistent rain forced the teams from the field. With more than 20 overs played and a superior run rate of 5.42 runs per over, Harpenden won this contest. Reed’s run rate being 4.75 runs per over. The wicket takers were Johnson (6-1-31-2) including one excellent one-handed catch off his own bowling and Jake Gifford (6-0-24-1). Harpenden managing to strike a number of boundaries, although there was some exceptional fielding on the boundary by Ben Mansfield, whose whites were certainly not that colour by the end of this game. Reed made an early breakthrough with Harpenden losing their first two wickets for only 13 runs, but a third wicket stand of 86 took this game away from Reed, alongside the rain denying us having a chance to bowl at the Harpenden middle order. Bowling and fielding become more difficult with a sodden ball as the Harpenden innings progressed. Today's side was [...]
Headlines – 3rd / 4th September
SATURDAY: Rain affected most of the matches on the final Saturday of the Herts League. It was so widespread that out of a programme of 131 fixtures, more than 100 matches were rained-off during the afternoon. Added to that, a further 7 matches were conceded throughout the divisions. 1st XI: Home versus Chorleywood. Reed scored 193 all-out; Ed Wharton and Rob Lankester being the major contributors. The visitors' innings ended at 15 for 0. The Firsts finished 6th in the Championship Division. 2nd XI: Away versus Harpenden. Reed scored 167 all-out in a reduced innings of 35 overs; George Garrott got past 45, Matt Sampson and Phil Frenay scored 30s. The rain came when Harpenden were 75 for 3. After three consecutive promotions, the Seconds had to be satisfied with 5th place in Division 4B. 3rd XI: Away versus Old Elizabethans. Reed scored 113 all-out with Peter Baker battling it out for 33 and Mike Robertson hitting 34. Old Es lost a solitary wicket to Neil Haslam who returned figures of 5 overs, 3 maidens, 1 wicket for 8 runs as the hosts romped home by 9 wickets in 20 overs, and gaining a deserved promotion. For the Thirds it does mean relegation from Division 8A this season. 4th XI: Home versus Harpenden. Reed scored 190 for 9 in their 40 overs, 75 of them by Paul Garrott who was supported by Bill Mansfield. Harpenden replied with 115 for 3 but because they faced 21 overs before it rained, it constituted a match, thus giving them a victory on a faster run-rate. The Fourths ended the season in 4th position in the Regional Division B East. SUNDAY: Joe Graves passed 50 for the first time, [...]
Garrott holds innings together but Reed 4ths pay for sloppiness
Tewin won the toss and elected to bat, and there was the fall of an early wicket with Hughes taking a catch off Yates’s bowling. Wickets continued to fall and Tewin stood at 112 for 6 after 27 overs, with wickets falling to Hughes (6-1-23-2), Haslam (8-1-26-2) and Emes (8-1-40-1). However, some general sloppiness in the field in the last 10 overs was costly, allowing Tewin to reach 183 for 9 off their 40 overs. The final wickets falling to Johnson (8-2-28-1), Adam (2-0-23-1) and the returning Yates (8-1-36-2). Three of the middle order for Tewin reaching 30 or above but falling before reaching their 50’s. Yates and Garrott almost colliding, as Garrott took a catch to dismiss Taylor on 46. Reed also lost an early wicket, with Johnson being bowled off his pads for only a single. Bill Mansfield (10) then hit some lusty blows before holing out to mid-on. Then Ben Mansfield (4) and Matt Yates (0) followed in quick succession. Lloyd Bowman (15) alongside Paul Garrott then got their heads down to advance the score to 123, in a stand of 80, before Bowman was bowled in the 30th over. This stand almost rescued the game, but runs now conceded in the last 10 overs of the Tewin innings came to bear as Reed lost by 16 runs finishing on 167 for 7. The latter batsmen tried their best, but the youngsters didn’t quite have the fire power, with Jack Wilkerson (9) and Jonny Adam (5) and Toby Emes (3 no), all registering scores. Garrott (76) remained undefeated at the end, having held the innings together and scored almost half of the runs. A competitive game, with a slightly disappointing outcome for [...]
Headlines – 27th / 28th August
SATURDAY: With one week of the Herts League programme remaining, the positions of the Club's Teams in their respective divisions are as follows: Firsts: 6th in the Championship; Seconds: 5th in 4B; Thirds: 10th in 8A; Fourths: 4th in Regional B East. Here is what happened today. Firsts: Scored 132 in response to 204 for 8 by Luton Town & Indians. Toby Fynn took 3 wickets and Ed Garrott scored a forty. Seconds: Won by 11 runs in the gloom at Reed. Phil Frenay made 112 and Richard Johnson 66 with some impetus lower down the order coming from Matt Sampson and Karl Ward bolstering the total in the final overs of the innings to 289 for 5. Northampton Exiles made a great run-chase but ended on 278 for 6. Thirds: Could only muster 120 all-out with James Crouchman scoring his first ever half century. It was never enough although Berkhamsted went from a comfortable 110 for 2 to a slightly disturbing 123 for 6 before they got over the line. 2 wickets each for Owen Hughes, Jack Childs and Matt Giblin. Fourths: Almost up with the asking rate throughout, Reed managed to score 167 for 7, falling 16 runs short at Tewin who had totalled 183 for 9. Paul Garrott was 70 not out at the end. Matt Yates, Steve Hughes and Neil Haslam took 2 wickets apiece during the afternoon session. SUNDAY: The Tour match against Wetherby (Yorks) was cancelled. The "Reedsters" went to Headingley to watch Yorks versus Surrey and met-up with Rob Key for a chat! Expect Match Reports to follow shortly. PGB
Charley Cricket Winter Training Programme 2016/17
Charley Cricket Winter Training Programme 2016/17 Hertfordshire County Cricket Ltd. are pleased to announce that following the success of the Hertfordshire Charley Cricket Programme in 2015-16, in which over 250 children took part, we will be running the programme again this winter at the following venues throughout the County. Monday - The Nobel School, Stevenage Wednesday - Rickmansworth School, Rickmansworth Thursday - Samuel Ryder Academy, St Albans The training will run from the last week in September 2016 through to the last week in March 2017 and the cost for the whole winter programme will be £200.00. The training is open to both boys and girls and there is no nomination process or trial required for players to sign up. Full details regarding the Charley Cricket Programme, as well as application forms, can be found on our website via the following link. [email protected] We would appreciate it if you would forward this information on to all of your current U9 - U11 players (ie. U10 - U12 in 2016-17) to give them the opportunity to sign up. The Programme is now open for new bookings and spaces are limited. Some age groups are already full at certain venues. If you need any further information, then please do not hesitate to contact us, via the following email address [email protected] Iain Fletcher Director of Performance Cricket Hertfordshire Cricket Limited
Big win for Reed 1sts
Reed secured an important win against Flitwick on Saturday which all but secures Championship Cricket at the Green for next season and allows them to focus on the possibility of a top 4 finish with a good end to the season. Flitwick won the toss and elected to bat on what looked a good wicket despite the rain on Friday and before the game. Although there was a little bit of encouragement for opening bowlers Ed Wharton (1-47) and Toby Fynn (1-54) this largely proved the case and Reed were pleased to see the back of Bedfordshire cricketer George Thurstance for just 15 thanks to Fynn. The middle overs proved to be fairly even with the run rate not getting out of control but the visitors looking to build a decent total at 116-1 off 25 overs with Russell (57) and Harry Thurstance (38) batting well. However, the introduction of Sean Tidey (4-44) seemed to swing the game in Reed's favour a little as he bowled a good spell including two quick wickets which combined with Mutucumarana (1-41) removing overseas player Nawela at 137-4 Reed were looking on top particularly given the sometimes fragile Flitwick batting. However, the visitors then got on top of the Reed bowlers despite Tidey and Wharton returning to good effect in the last 10 overs. Perrin and Malkani largely did the damage taking them to 247-7 off their 50 overs. Reed knew they would need to bat well to win the game but on a decent batting wicket the opportunity was there. Although losing the important wicket of William Heslam for 8, James Heslam and the nerveless Rob Lankester (31) got Reed off to a good start taking the score [...]