Reed 2s got their 2026 league season off to an emphatic start with a strong performance away to Abbots Langley 2s on Saturday.

After a disrupted journey down the A1 Reed skipper Matt Bowles lost the toss and his side were asked to bat on a warm day, on what looked a very dry pitch. Openers Phil Frenay (20) and Michael Robertson (34) got Reed off to a solid and dependable start as they saw off a tricky opening spell from Bhakta and Parrott. Frenay was beginning to look quite imperious when he played across a straight one from Lloyd and was bowled leaving Reed 47-1. Chris Jackson joined Robertson and helped negate any fears of an early collapse as he and Robertson took the score to 82-2 before Jackson nibbled at a good ball outside off and was well caught behind for 22. Robertson had begun to free his arms and was looking set for a half century before he was unluckily run out at the non-strikers end after new batter James Heslam struck a firm drive back at the bowler leaving the visitors 96-3.

Jack Caine then entered the fray and he and Heslam snr rebuilt the Reed innings and began to assert dominance over the hosts attack. Caine played superbly all around the ground as he and Heslam scored at a very good lick. Both soon found themselves reaching the hald century milestone as the partnership went over 100 and the Reed score ticked past 200. Heslam (51) then got a good ball which beat his defences with the score on 213-4. Rhodri Hughes (21) joined Caine and kept the Reed momentum up as Caine unleashed a series of classy shots, finding the boundary regularly. Hughes fell shortly before Caine as both failed to beat the outfielders with big shots as the innings began to draw to a close. Late wickets gave Abbots Langley some respite but Reed were content at the innings break having scored 298-9 from their 50 allotted overs.

Abbots Langley got their reply off to a good start, with Khan scoring quite freely as the score reached 37, before Matt Giblin (10-5-20-4) began to find rhythm and snared his wicket owing to a good catch by Phil Frenay. In the very next over Josh Heslam (5-0-33-1) then found the edge of Cox’s bat giving a good catch to father James behind the stumps to leave the hosts 37-2. Adcock (25) offered some resistance, playing well through the offside, but when Giblin had him well caught by Chris Chambers at second slip, then took the glove of Lloyd with a sharp bouncer before trapping Groves LBW soon after, Reed found themselves well in control at 80-5.

Matt Bowles (5.5-1-15-3) and Jack Caine (3-1-11-2) then mopped up the Abbots Langley tail, aided by some excellent catches by Josh Heslam, James Heslam and Phil Frenay. The hosts finishing well short of their target on 127 All Out.