On a damp pitch, with the ball seaming around Tom Thorpe was bowled for just a single so Will Heslam and Rob Lankester had to hang in with balls whistling past their off stump. After 20 difficult overs, Heslam was eventually caught behind for 33 with the score on 58, but Lankester persevered, losing his new partner, Charlie Walters, for 10. The tempo changed, however with the arrival of Max Sanderson. Together they took the score on to 133 until Lankester’s patience finally gave way as he was caught for 54 invaluable runs. Sanderson was by now scoring freely making two maximums and with Jack Caine (21), Tom Greaves (13*) as well as two lusty blows from Sean Tidey he took the score to an unlikely 220. He was finally trapped in front just before the end making a match winning 62.
With the wicket having become easier, Northwood must have felt they had a chance of chasing down that total, but Matt Giblin gobbled up their openers. Caine snaffled Patel, their gun bat hanging onto a rocket at silly mid-wicket, the first of two screamers he caught there. The second broke the partnership that was threatening to take the game away from Reed, but Sri Lankan Raveenthiraria was steaming along at a run a ball, racking up the boundaries. Gradually Ollie Johnson and Greaves took control and aided by two more outstanding catches by Heslam and Greaves himself at slip the game swung Reed’s way. The turning point came after Tidey had missed a stumping of Raveenthiraria off Greaves; he launched himself at a gentle prod and made the fifth amazing catch of the innings to end an exhilarating knock of 68. The tail promptly folded as Johnson finished with figures of 3-22 and Greaves with 4-32 from their 10 overs. Greaves had the last say by deftly running out no.11 who had strayed out of his crease having survived and LBW shout!
Reed is now top of the table at the halfway stage of the season, but several clubs are breathing down their neck.