Reed 3rd XI continued their impressive campaign with a convincing away win over North Mymms on a sweltering afternoon, maintaining second place in Division 13 East as the season moved beyond its halfway stage.

After losing the toss, Reed were asked to field on what appeared an excellent batting wicket with a quick outfield. Despite the favourable conditions, Reed's disciplined bowling attack never allowed the hosts to build the imposing total they had hoped for. Although opener Mohammed Ahmed struck a fluent 64, wickets fell regularly at the other end as Reed maintained pressure throughout.

Matthew Jackson set the tone with an accurate opening spell, making the early breakthrough and continuing the consistency that has made him one of the division's leading wicket-takers this season. Off-spinner Greg McKinnell produced one of the key spells of the afternoon, bowling with excellent control and extracting turn from the surface to help contain the free-scoring Mohammed Ahmed before striking twice in his final over to swing the momentum firmly in Reed's favour, finishing with excellent figures of 3-34.

If McKinnell applied the squeeze, Abigail Jackson finished the job in style. Producing excellent swing and movement, she ripped through the lower order to return outstanding figures of 3-11 from five overs, ensuring North Mymms never recovered after losing wickets in clusters. John Fry was typically economical with 1-15 from eight overs, Chris Cooper added another wicket, and every member of Reed's eight-man bowling attack played their part as North Mymms were dismissed for 135 in 39.1 overs.

The performance highlighted the strength and depth of Reed's bowling resources, with captain Chris Cooper able to rotate eight bowlers without any drop in quality. A special mention should also go to Matthew Jackson, who continues to enjoy an outstanding season. His latest wicket leaves him among the top five wicket-takers in Division 13 East after ten matches, underlining the consistency and control he has shown throughout the campaign.

Chasing 136, Reed's reply was built around the welcome return of Richard Johnson after injury. Looking as though he had never been away, Johnson combined patience with positive stroke play, striking 11 boundaries in a superb 62 retired not out from 62 deliveries.

Johnson and captain Chris Cooper effectively took the game away from North Mymms with an excellent 100-run opening partnership. Cooper's patient 20 provided the perfect foil before Ethan Fox and Simon Jackson calmly completed the chase. Fox finished unbeaten on 22, while Simon Jackson remained 18 not out, as Reed reached 136-2 in just 24.5 overs, sealing victory with more than 15 overs to spare.

The 30-point haul leaves Reed second in Division 13 East on 258 points, just 12 points behind leaders Weston and opening up a healthy advantage over the chasing pack. With the promotion race entering its decisive weeks, Reed continue to build momentum, showing both the bowling depth and batting resilience needed to challenge strongly throughout the remainder of the season.

Finally, a special mention goes to Dan Fox, who once again gave up his afternoon to score the match live on Play-Cricket. Dan has become a regular presence with the side this season, ensuring supporters and players can follow matches in real time. His commitment behind the scenes has made a real difference and he has become an important part of the team effort.