Barlow heroics not enough as Reed bow out of the Village Cup
Reed welcomed Preston to The Green on Sunday afternoon in the Second Round of the National Village Cup. Winning the toss, Ed Garrott asked the visitors to bat, Julien Fynn (8-1-23-3) took a wicket with his first delivery. Preston found the going tough as both opening bowlers Rupert Martin (8-0-23-1) and Fynn bowled with accuracy. At the 20 over mark, Preston were 51 for 3 and struggling to make an impact. Karl Ward took a wicket in his third over and when Matt Bowles took the scalps of Collins and Plumb, the score was 74 for 6. Murrell joined Hill and the run rate now began to increase, Hill went to Bowles again, but Murrell marshalled the lower order before becoming Bowles' 4th victim (8-1-39-4). Anderson hit a quick 23 to take them to 167, being dismissed off 39.5 overs. Karl Ward ended with figures of 7.5-1-37-2. Reed opened with Richard Barlow and Stuart Smith, they had taken the score to 37 before Smith and then Karl Ward fell in the space of three balls in the tenth over to Gallimore. Kallum Ward soon followed, skipper Garrott was run out for 12 and when Scott Nash fell Reed were wobbling at 85 for 5. Barlow pushed on and yet again fell agonisingly short of a fifty, when he was bowled for 49. It seemed to knock Reed and their remaining wickets fell quickly, being bowled out for 111 in the 29th over. Match Report submitted by Neil Haslam. Note: Preston will now play Sawbridgeworth in Round 3. Sawbo beat Redbourn who were last year's runners-up in the Lord's Final.