After inserting the home side, Reed’s opening attack of Jack Tidey and Julien Fynn were their usual menacing selves beating the bat on numerous occasions. However, it was not until the seventeenth over that Tidey made the breakthrough having Regan superbly caught by keeper Kallum Ward diving full length to a ball that kept low. By then St Albans had 60 on the board and they had survived the opening spell albeit Tidey finishing with a miserly 1-22. Their opponents continued to build on this foundation with the Wills, Bancroft and Jones both making half centuries. Tom Greaves bowled well to pick up three wickets including that of Bancroft – Rob Lankester cunningly positioning himself on the long on boundary anticipating the attempted six hit. The returning Fynn (2-28) snared another two with Jones caught at deep mid-wicket by Tom Thorpe, but by then St. Albans were well on their way to a match winning 204-6.
An umpire stated that Reed and St. Albans share the best bowling attacks in the league, so Reed did well to see off the dangerous Jones and Rooney reaching 71 in the process, but they had lost Thorpe LBW to Jones. It was spinner Capaldi who caused the damage though taking 5-34 as Will Heslam, Ward and Lankester all made starts, but perished through his wizardry. He then cleaned up the middle order leaving Reed tottering at 121-8. A spirited stand of 45 then ensued between Ollie Johnson (24*) and Fynn (23) which made the final total 170-9, bagging 4 valuable batting bonus points. Sadly, still well adrift of their opponents’ score.
As a result Reed now sit third, two points behind Ampthill in second with the title out of their own hands going into the final two fixtures.