MAINTAINING their top-of-the-table position, Reed picked up their fourth successive 30 points by toppling Totteridge by 68 runs. Reed now have the maximum 120 points from their four Herts League games, and after winning the toss, captain James Heslam con

MAINTAINING their top-of-the-table position, Reed picked up their fourth successive 30 points by toppling Totteridge by 68 runs.

Reed now have the maximum 120 points from their four Herts League games, and after winning the toss, captain James Heslam continued Reed's fine form and once again combined well with Baz Curtis.

Heslam (58) and Curtis (80) didn't let their side down and built a first innings partnership of 147 in only 27 overs.

Curtis, Reed's leading run scorer, played some punishing off and cover drives, while Helsam demonstrated some text book shots of his own.

It was only when Imran Khan (19-1-78-5) was introduced to the attack, did Totteridge begin to find rewards, and he urged Heslam into playing a loose stroke to point, and shortly thereafter Curtis fell caught behind of a fine edge.

With new batsmen Richard Johnson (0) and Chris Jackson (45) at the crease, Reed hoped to consolidate, but Khan struck again having Johnson, caught at short midwicket, with a lazy shot for a duck.

Totteridge looked like they were on top.

But a thoughtful innings from both Jackson and William Clarke (32) steadied the ship, as the pair batted responsibly by defending good balls, and punishing poor deliveries to build a partnership of 71 and took the score to 218 in 48 overs.

Both Clarke and Jackson fell trying to push the score in the closing overs, but this left Marcus Martin (5) and former captain Simon Jackson (12) to continue and take the score to 243 off 52 overs. Reed elected to save an extra over to bowl to Totteridge.

Totteridge set about chasing the total in an aggressive manner, with Hussain scoring 20 off 17 balls. Totteridge reached 98-1 off 24 overs, and the day looked bleak for Reed.

However, it took a special delivery from Richard Johnson (6-0-20-1), and two wickets in two balls from William Clarke (4-0-21-2) to swing the match back in Reed's favour.

At 103-4, Johnson and Clarke were removed from the attack, as the Reed captain opted to take pace off the ball and introduce spinners Jackson (7.2-2-23-2) and Garrott (7-0-35-4) into the attack.

Their effect was immediate, as Simon Jackson stumped the dangerous Crutchlow off his brother's bowling, with Garrott taking two early wickets. His rout continued as he bagged a couple of subsequent wickets, thanks to a sharp catch by Chris Jackson on the boundary.

Despite some heavy drizzle, the umpires persisted, and Reed willingly obliged by trapping Soomro (22) for lbw to finalise their innings on 175 off 38.2 overs.

Reed captain, Heslam said: "This was another great performance by our batsmen and we are consistently performing at the top of the order, which provides a great starts for the bowlers to bowl at. I couldn't ask for any more.