SATURDAY - HERTS LEAGUE. Shenley Village recovered from losing 3 early wickets for next to nothing to 138 for 9; Tom Greaves returning 4 for 58. But Reed could manage only 106 in reply; Greaves 20 and Zac McGuigan 20 and slipped to third place in the Division. The Seconds saved fuel by not having to travel to Northampton Exiles. The game was cancelled because of an unfit pitch. Bushey scored 207 for 7 against the Thirds on the Freman Oval, Toby Emes taking 3 for 50. The run chase was again led by Mike Robertson with 58 and Rob Willoughby with 31, but it was the eighth wicket pairing of Lloyd Bowman and Kieran McKinna that edged Reed over the line, seven wickets down but with only 3 deliveries left. SUNDAY. I counted 7 past or present Reed Colts in the Hare Street & Hormead line-up in Sunday's friendly. The visitors closed on 172 for 8, Steve Hughes taking 4 for 33. But despite a sixty from Rich Barlow and thirties by Rob Lankester and MJE Baker, Reed were all out 4 runs short. COLTS: The Under 9s (1) won against Sawbridgeworth on Friday. The match against Braughing involving the U9s (2) team the same day was cancelled. Expect Match Reports to follow shortly. PGB

SUNDAY. NATIONAL VILLAGE CRICKET CHAMPIONSHIP. Reed made short work of the Beds & Herts Regional Final by bowling out Preston for 104 in the 36th over then cracking 105 for 2 within 15 overs. Jack Caine took 4 for 13 for Reed with Mitchell Copper and Tom Greaves taking 2 each. Reed's innings was without mercy as the belligerent Sean Tidey scored an array of shots round the Green in his 65. Rob Lankester was 27 not out when Reed overhauled Preston by 8 wickets. Stoke Green won the Buckinghamshire Final and will be our next opponents at Reed on 23rd June. Locally, Foxton beat Eaton Socon to win the Cambs & Norfolk Group and will be at home to Worlington (Essex & Suffolk). SATURDAY. The rain wasn't quite the winner despite 25 matches in the Herts League programme of 133 fixtures being cancelled and a further 13 rain-affected. This is not to mention the 5 matches conceded. In the Championship in the last of the first series of Limited Overs Matches, Reed 1st XI scored 180 for 8, (Rob Lankester 60, Ed Wharton 42), then bowled out Flitwick for 130, Sean Tidey taking 3 wickets and Ed Wharton and Zac McGuigan 2 each. Next week will see the first of the "Timed matches" - that means white clothing and red-balls! The Seconds, (they play in whites and use red balls anyway), scored 248 for 5 thanks to Ed Garrott's 50, James Sandford's 42 and the quick-fire 56 by Mitchell Cooper. Wickets were shared around as Stevenage made 212 for 8 in response leaving Reed joint second in Division 4B. The unprotected pitch at Freman College gave no alternative but to cancel the Third Team [...]

SATURDAY. The rain wasn't quite the winner despite 25 matches in the Herts League programme of 133 fixtures being cancelled and a further 13 rain-affected. This is not to mention the 5 matches conceded. In the Championship in the last of the first series of Limited Overs Matches, Reed 1st XI scored 180 for 8, (Rob Lankester 60, Ed Wharton 42), then bowled out Flitwick for 130, Sean Tidey taking 3 wickets and Ed Wharton and Zac McGuigan 2 each. Next week will see the first of the "Timed matches" - that means white clothing and red-balls! The Seconds, (they play in whites and use red balls anyway), scored 248 for 5 thanks to Ed Garrott's 50, James Sandford's 42 and the quick-fire 56 by Mitchell Cooper. Wickets were shared around as Stevenage made 212 for 8 in response leaving Reed joint second in Division 4B. The unprotected pitch at Freman College gave no alternative but to cancel the Third Team match against Holtwhites Trinibis because of the rain. COLTS: On Monday the Under 9 (2) side scored 197 (Net) against a strong Bishop's Stortford team that made 265 (Net). Tuesday's U13 match at home to Saffron Walden was cancelled because of the rain. Then against Mildenhall away on Thursday Reed's U13s scored 112 for 6 with Sam Osborne compulsory retiring on 30 and Charlie Butler hitting 24 but to no avail as Mildenhall knocked off 114 for 5. Sam took 2 wickets and Charlie 1 but Alfie Cockburn also took 1 wicket and made 1 run out. William Archer held a catch too. On Friday evening, the Under 11s were over the Essex border at Wenden. Nigel Cook reports that Reed fielded first and [...]

SATURDAY: First XI v. Leverstock Green. Batting first, Reed made 256 all out with half-centuries by Zac McGuigan and Stuart Smith. Leverstock Green lost wickets regularly although there was a late revival, nevertheless, they were bowled out for 206 largely due to Tom Greaves, (3 wickets), and Ed Wharton & Toby Fynn, (2 each). Second XI v. Hitchin. Wickets were shared around between Alex Kelly, Matt Giblin, Rupert Martin, Owen Hughes and Julien Fynn as Hitchin piled-up 270 for 8. Acting Captain Rupert T.B Martin top scored with MJE Baker and Rob Willoughby lending solid support, but unfortunately Reed were bowled out well-short of their target for only 128. Third IV v West Herts. I am afraid there is a pattern emerging. Before last Saturday, the most recent time the Third Team scored more than 300 was last season and they then conceded their next match the following week. The same has happened this time. Last week the Thirds made a winning 311 for 6 but this week had to concede to West Herts simply because only 4 (possibly 5) players were available. That should really read 26 or 27 (out of the 33 required to field three teams). Most of the regular “Third Teamers" were playing for the Seconds this week. SUNDAY: Return of The Outlaws. I am pleased that this match took place after rumours of absent players had been quashed. In the event, Rhodri Hughes and Joe Graves changed allegiance to the visitors and it was played as 10-a-side. Michael Juckes and Julien Fynn bagged two Outlaws each as they reached a not insurmountable 185 for 6. Reed's Colts were represented by William Archer and William Green both making their debuts in [...]

SATURDAY: All three league teams won with some impressive personal performances from certain individuals. For the First team, Ed Wharton led the charge against Letchworth with 86 not out chasing down 165. Earlier 3 wickets each fell to Tom Greaves and Zac McGuigan. At Reed, the Seconds defended 213 and beat Watford by 23 runs. Runs came from Stuart Smith, 44, James Sandford, 47, and skipper, Karl Ward, 40 not out. Mitchell Cooper had taken three wickets in Watford's innings supported by the Martin brothers, Marcus and Rupert, claiming 2 each. It was Twin Tons at the Freman Oval when Mike Robertson, 108, and George Garrott, 106 not out, made short work of reaching the winning target of 311 after Bentley Heath had posted an impressive 310 for 9. Julien Fynn took 4 for 37 in their innings. A marvelously high-scoring run chase. COLTS: William Archer, William McIntosh, Sam Osborne and Charlie Walters were all in the wickets when the Under 13s played Coton, but unfortunately their 139 was too high a target. Walters and Eden Scott each reached 30 but had to retire and the others didn't get going, closing on 97. When I know details of the other Colts' matches played recently I shall post them on this website. SUNDAY: Village Cup Victory! After an interval caused by rain, Sean Tidey and Rich Wharton had no trouble scoring at more than 7.5 runs per over until Sean departed for a fantastic 147. Richard continued to an undefeated 108 whilst short cameos of 20+ came from Rob Lankester and Jack Tidey. Reed's innings ended at 313 for 3. Toby Fynn, 3 for 17, and Tom Greaves, 4 for 11, blew away the Sharnbrook and [...]

SATURDAY: Ed Wharton walloped 91 as the First team chased down Hemel's 162 with 6 wickets and 20 overs in hand. Phil Frenay scored a half-century out of Reed 2nd XI's winning score of 75 for 1 after Matt Giblin's 5 wickets massively contributed to Sawbridgeworth being bowled out for 74. The Thirds came up against the troubled Southgate Compton "Second / First" Team (see Herts League website for details) and apart from Paul Garrott's 46 and Mike Robertson's 35 didn't do themselves justice. All out for 121 and losing by 9 wickets. SUNDAY: Little Hadham beat the Friendly side by 4 wickets despite 3 wickets and 3 catches from Zac McGuigan. Reed's 219 for 6 was based on Toby Fynn's century and MJE Baker's half-century (both retired); perhaps they shouldn't have! COLTS: Rain prevented play in the Under 9's match on Friday. QUIZ: No rain in the pavilion to prevent the team named SakMcGiboyd from winning the Spring Quiz also on Friday. Expect Match Reports (about the cricket- not the Quiz) to follow shortly. PGB

SATURDAY. Three victories - the first 90-pointer for years! ACTUALLY, I HAVE GOT THAT WRONG!!! Since a change in the League Match Rules a couple of seasons ago, the winning Teams in the Premier and Championship Divisions, (which include Reed's 1st XI), are awarded only 25 points for a victory in their Limited Overs matches. Therefore, yesterday was more accurately an "85-point day"! In "Timed matches" in the middle part of the summer, the Firsts could get 30 points when they win, so we can still look forward to more 90-pointers in the future. For those that don't know, if you are looking at the Divisional Tables published on www.hertsleague.co.uk and you can't make out the points system, each Team that was represented at the recent Captains' Meeting was awarded 5 bonus points. That is why after 1 match each, our First XI have a total of 30 points (25 for the win + 5 bonus); the Seconds 35 (30 + 5); and the Thirds 35 (30 + 5). All these tweets about 90-points better re-visit the Rule Book (like I had to do)! Sorry. 1st XI: Despite scores in the forties, thirties and twenties by James Heslam, Richard Wharton, Sean Tidey and Rob Lankester, the 1st XI's batting highlight was the first and only delivery Jack Tidey faced that he smote for 6 to win the match with Reed 8 wickets down and two deliveries left! Earlier, Zac McGuigan and Toby Fynn had taken 5 wickets each in Old Owens' innings of 189. 2nd XI: Holtwhites Trinibis ended well adrift on 105 all out against the Seconds who had totalled 238 for 9. Matt Giblin, Matt Bowles and Mitchell Cooper took 2 wickets apiece. [...]