Skipper Jason Archer won the toss away at Tewin last Saturday and had no hesitation in deciding to bat. It didn’t look a good decision when Baz Curtis nicked one to slip, but once the ball hit the ground the Reed openers didn’t look back. Curtis took full advantage and along with open partner Fergus Martin looked in no trouble after that. Curtis was the first to reach 50 with another 4 through the covers. Martin continued to put the bad ball away and with some good running kept the scoreboard ticking.Curtis was now in full flow and raced through his second fifty with 9 boundaries and brought up his 25th ton for Reed. At drinks, at the halfway stage, Reed were nicely placed at 142-0. With the first ball after drinks Martin brought up his fifty following on from his maiden ton the week before. 8 overs later with the score on 196 Curtis tried to hit spinner Fish over the top and was caught at long on. His 126 included 23 fours and 1 six. Three runs later, Martin followed when he was also caught for a fine 57.Reed got maximum batting points in the 36th over. With 17 more to go it was just a matter of how many Reed would get and when the declaration would come. Marcus Martin and Richard Johnson soon got into their stride and continued to find the boundary on regular occasions. Martin beat the more aggressive Johnson to his fifty with Johnson getting his in the last over before the declaration came. Skipper Archer decided that 50 overs a side was a fair declaration and with the wicket seeming very flat and with short boundaries the [...]

Reed’s 2nd XI went into Saturday’s match against St. Margaretsbury II looking for a much need victory. Reed won the toss and took the brave decision to field first. Reed opened up with the Ward brothers, Kallum and Karl. Both bowled tightly, but it was Karl who made the first breakthrough with a good caught and bowled to get rid of Reed for 10. Skipper Archer then turned to spin and brought on Will Dobson. The wicket wasn’t producing much turn, but Dobson was soon using some excellent flight to keep the runs down.Ed Garrott came on from the tennis court end and despite a shaky start soon turned one sharply through Richard’s defences he was bowled for 21. Kitteringham was looking like he could stick around all day before Sean Tidey took a great legside catch of Dodson to remove him for 21. Dobson then had Miller caught at slip the next ball with Baz Curtis holding a sharp chance. The hat-trick was not completed, but Reed were now on top. Bailey played some aggressive shots off both spinners and hit a fine 57 before he was lbw to Garrott. Dobson ended with 4-60 off 21 overs and Garrott 2-48 from 16 overs. St. Margaretsbury ended 170-8 in their 53 overs.Reed were confident they could knocked the runs off, but lost Curtis for a 3 ball duck and were 0-1. Stuart Smith came to the wicket and raced to 12 from 4 balls, but after that the open bowlers of Bentley and Ayres started to make scoring very tough. Reed had only scored 38 runs in 18 overs when Fergus Martin was removed for 15 trying to up the rate. All rounder Dobson joined [...]

Reed II’s came away with an emphatic victory over Rickmansworth II’s at The Green on Saturday. Batting first, Reed’s openers Baz Curtis and Fergus Martin got off to a solid start, taking the score towards 3 figures when Curtis fell for a well made 43. Fergus Martin was then joined by younger looking brother Marcus at the crease, and another large partnership followed. F. Martin played some wonderful strokes, and soon passed his half-century, with M. Martin also beginning to find the boundary with more ease. M. Martin reached his half-century, before he fell, caught behind for 57. Undeterred by the loss of his brother, F. Martin went on to score a fantastic maiden, and near chanceless league century, ending up 102 Not Out. Ian Fulk (17) also added some runs with a late cameo, as Reed declared on 227-4 off of 51 of their allotted 53 Overs. Rickmansworth’s reply never looked like getting going, from the moment the ‘evergreen’ Peter Tidey bowled one opener, and the returning Andrew Emms trapped the other LBW. Both bowlers ripped into the visitors, Emms finishing with 5 wickets, and Tidey 4 as Rickmansworth finished up 68 all out. Rupert Martin was the final wicket taker, giving Reed a well deserved 30points, leaving them comfortably in mid-table with hat looks to be another season in Division 6 to look forward to next year.

Early sunshine greeted Reed II as they travelled to Radlett. Reed captain Jason Archer lost the toss and was asked to field. Radlett's innings got off to a poor start losing T.Johnson for 3 being bowled by P.Tidey (27-6-75-5). T. Malde and N.Nandhra then offered some stubborn resistance before Nandhra was caught and bowled by Tidey for 9. Reed then took two quick wickets leaving the home side on 75-4 at drinks. T.Peck and J.wells looked solid before Mitchell Cooper ran out Peck for 32. Wells was joined by T.Charles and together they started to form a partnership before Jason Archer (14-2-72-3) had Wells Bowled for 41. Sutherland came into bat and was soon caught in the deep by Cooper for 3. Tidey picked up his fifth wicket after bowling Lederman for 3. A.Hussien and Charles put on runs at the end including a 7 off the final ball of the innings to bring their score to 185-9 off the allotted 53 overs. Reed's openers set about getting the target opening with Fergus Martin and William Heslam. Heslam was bowled for 12 with the score on 21 in the ninth over. Martin was joined by Baz Curtis and together they put on 33 before Martin was caught off the bowling of Sutherland (5-0-15-1). Ed Garrott (1), Curtis (25) and Cooper (2) fell in quick sucession leaving the visitors on 67-5. Matt Bowles and Richard Johnson stabalised the innings before Johnson went for 13 caught at mid on. Keeper Sean Tidey was caught and bowled for 1. Rupert Martin (8), Peter Tidey (6) and Jason Archer (4) came in and supported bowles on his way to a quickfire 41 including 6 fours and a huge six as Reed fell 44 runs [...]

Reed 2s picked up their second victory in 3 outings after a tremendous team performance against high flying Letchworth. Reed lost the toss and were asked to bat, a decision that the Letchworth skipper may have regretted as Mark King (62) & Fergus Martin (53) compiled an opening stand of 80 before King was bowled when looking imperious.Martin, with Smith, Cooper and Fulk then took Reed past the 100 mark and into the points, before falling after a patient innings of quality, peppered with a series of fine boundaries. Kallum and Karl Ward (38) then took over, Karl taking the lead as Reed accelerated past 200 before the innings closed at a competitive 213 - 7.Opening pair Rupert Martin (2-43) and Kallum Ward took the attack to Letchworth, but it was the introduction of skipper Jason Archer that turned the tide. Archer bowled 11 overs taking 7-17 including an all bowled hatrick to record career best figures. Letchworth slumped from 62-2 to 107 all out. Of the 10 wickets Reed took, 8 were clean bowled, one an LBW and the other a fine run out by Ian Fulk a direct hit from square leg with only "one" stump to aim at.After a slow start Reed are now picking up the points they require to make a push for promotion in the second half of the season.

Reed’s 2nd XI went into the match needing a point to be sure of staying up and left with all 30. Skipper Jason Archer again won the toss and decided to bat first. It didn’t look good when Baz Curtis was dismissed 3rd ball for a duck. This brought Ed Garrott to crease to join Fergus Martin. Both stood up well to the pace of Smith and didn’t look in too much trouble until Smith managed to nip one away and hit Martin’s off stump. This left Reed 21-2 from 11 overs.Richard Johnson replaced Martin and hit two lovely fours before chasing a wide one and being caught behind off the bowling of Rhodes. At 32-3 the visitors must have thought the divisional title was in their grasp and another victory in sight. Mitchell Cooper along with Garrott had other ideas and steadied the ship putting on 81 for the 4th wicket. Garrott hitting some lovely drives through the covers. Cooper happy to give Garrott the strike found the gaps and rotated the strike well. Maximum batting points looked on the cards when Cooper smashed one back only for bowler Rhodes to stick out a foot and deflect the ball onto the stumps leaving Garrott out of his ground. He had looked in full control and a ton wasn’t out of the question, but instead he was run out for 71. Ian Fulk joined Cooper and in his very with his usual Brazilian flare deserting him his stoutly scored 28 to take Reed to 153-5 with only 5 overs left. In a late flurry Reed tried to up the run rate, but only lost wickets. 153-5 soon became 165 and it was left to Peter [...]