Reed 4s traveled to Datchworth on Saturday after a week's break in Regional Division C East. Despite Friday's deluge, the pitch and outfield were in remarkably good condition. Skipper Lloyd Bowman lost the toss and Reed were put in to bat. Both openers Matthew Naeem and Martin Johnson fell early to the accurate bowling of Clark. Mas Naeem (21) and Zac Conley (10) then steadied things but were dismissed by Clark and the other opening bowler Carmichael and at 42 for 4 Reed were wobbling. Matters got even worse when skipper Bowman (2) and debutant Michael Hubbard fell in successive balls to Carmichael and at 49 for 6 in just the 12th over an early finish was on the cards. However, Ian Roberts and Chris West hadn't read the script and dug in for a well-crafted 71 partnership for the seventh wicket on a pitch with variable bounce. West was bowled by a yorker from Murphy for 23 but by this time the Reed recovery was underway at 110 for 7. Roberts carried on in the same vein playing each ball on its merits and dispatching the bad ball to the boundary. He was ably supported by Matt Yates (13) and they took Reed to 155 before Roberts fell to the returning Clark for 59, the last two wickets could only muster 6 more runs, however at 161 all out, Reed had given them a target to bowl at. Reed opened the bowling with Matt Giblin and Matt Yates; both bowled well and beat the bat with regularity. Giblin struck first in seventh over as Zac Conley took a catch to dismiss Bennett for 10 (20 for 1), Giblin took the second wicket too (35 [...]