At last, the First XI secured a win.... but just by 3 runs! Dunstable Town have proved to be a bogey team for Reed, but they were given a boost when the main architect of Reed's defeats, Luke Cherry, pulled out at the last minute. Nevertheless Reed's innings could hardly have started more disastrously with both openers in the hutch within 10 balls. Max Sanderson and Rob Lankester rescued them, however, both striking 45, scoring 9 boundaries and 3 maximums between them. They were ably supported by Jack Caine (17) and Sam Osborne (15). Yet, when the latter was out on the stroke of lunch, 139-4 became 159 all out as Dunstable's spinners cruised through the lower order. This seemed well below par as Dunstable calmly moved to 70-1. It was then that Osborne struck, brilliantly picking up and throwing down the wicket of the express paced Sam Cherry. Two more wickets fell at the same score, including Australian Deon Billington bowled by Jack Tidey for a golden duck. Tidey once again tied down one end, bowling 16 overs on the spin finishing with 2 for 43. Another partnership took the visitors beyond 100 until Julien Fynn played a match winning performance, taking 4 for 35 as Dunstable lost their last four wickets for 11 runs. When the ninth wicket fell 9 were required and 5 tense overs ensued as they inched towards victory. A dropped slip catch seemed to signal another defeat for Reed but finally Tidey swooped to catch Jack Kilduff (39) before he could rain on Reed's party. This win gives Reed a morale boost as they top 100 points for the season and start to eye up the teams just above [...]

They say catches win matches, so if you drop 10, the result is almost certainly inevitable. Dunstable profited to the tune of 266 for 6 with Aussie Billington top scoring with 80. Only Chris Chambers managed to put a brake on their run charge taking 3 for 10 in his first 5 overs. He also had Billington with the last ball of his tenth over and eventually ended with 4 for 42. Reed stuttered to 47 for 5 in reply, four of those wickets falling to their perennial scourge Luke Cherry. However, when he finished his allocated overs, the lower order fought back led by a stylish innings of 38 by Max Sanderson and a more brutal one of 54 by Sean Tidey. They put together a stand of 77 and with the last wicket of Toby Fynn and Matt Giblin adding 24 more, Reed at least had the consolation of 3 batting bonus points. The innings closed with a respectable score of 193. Maybe Reed would benefit from some catching drills this week? Match Report submitted by Peter Wholley.

The First's winning streak came to an end with another disappointing narrow defeat at the hands of Dunstable Town. Chasing 205 to win, Reed slumped to 22 for 3, but hopes were raised by two half century partnerships between Zac McGuigan (45) firstly with Sam Osborne (20) then with Chris Chambers (36). The latter showed his class making his first big knock for the team, including 14 from an over by Dunstable's most successful bowler this season, Jack Kilduff. Their spinners then dismissed the middle order, only for Sean Tidey (21) to raise the spirits of the home crowd partnering Mitchell Cooper (13) and Bertie Scott (16 not out). However the pace of Harry McBrearty accounted for the last two wickets bringing the total of his victims to 4 all clean bowled. Reed were all out in the last over for 196 to lose by the slender margin of 8 runs. Earlier Toby Fynn(1-15) and McGuigan (1-26) left the visitors 57 for 2 at the halfway mark, but Kilduff (47) and James Bromhall (49) accelerated the scoring despite Scott and Tom Greaves taking two wickets apiece, 204 for 9 proving just beyond the hosts. With two matches left this season Reed need one more win or one of their rivals to slip up in order to stay in the Championship. Match Report submitted by Peter Wholley.