Reed 1st XI lose at Dunstable

ON arriving at the ground the Reed team were surprised to find that Dunstable had inexplicably not protected their pitch from that morning's showers with the excellent covers that they had available.

Winning the toss, the Reed Captain, Ed Blissett, sought to exploit the conditions by sending Dunstable Town into bat. Graeme Wilson and Jack Tidy opened the bowling, and Wilson quickly had the Dunstable opener, Horton, caught at slip.

Although both opening bowlers troubled the batsmen, they made no further breakthroughs in their opening spells.

It was not until the introduction of the left arm spinner, Bernie Morss, that further wickets fell. Morss, displaying all the acumen of his fictional (though differently spelt) namesake, utilised the damp wicket fully, dismissing Custance, caught by Wilson, for eight.

Greaves, in particular, was expensive, conceding 33 runs of just four overs; although, thanks to a catch by Blissett at mid-wicket off a steepling miscued pull, he did take the wicket of Carr, for 21.

Morss continued to bowl tightly and accounted for Nolan, palpably LBW, for three. At the end of his spell Morss finished with two wickets for just 20 runs off his nine overs.

Dunstable's middle and lower order batsman all started to play their shots. Though they played and missed frequently, as the pitch continued to help the bowlers, they were able to score useful runs, thanks to some poor deliveries and three dropped catches.

Marshall in particular was effective, and reached 39 before being dismissed by Cooper, thanks to another catch by Wilson. This was the first of four wickets taken by Cooper, as he played a large part in polishing off the Dunstable innings; finishing with the highly respectable figures of four for 20 in 4.4 overs.

Dunstable Town were finally dismissed for 164. A total which, in what were still very bowler friendly conditions, was not going to be easily achieved by Reed.

It was also, as the Skipper Blissett remarked at tea, at least 40 more runs than they should have totalled.

Reed's innings began in dramatic fashion. Mckechnie struck the first two balls of the innings for four before being mistiming a hook of the third ball and being easily caught at midwicket.

Reed were soon in even greater difficulty when Greaves gave the simplest of catches to extra-cover, two balls later. Worse was to follow for Reed as both Sean Tidey and Karl Ward, who had struggled against the accurate Dunstable bowling, were dismissed before the total had reached 25.

The dismissal of Tidey brought Blissett to the wicket to join Cooper. Their brief partnership was quickly broken by the introduction of Carr. He surprised Cooper with his first ball which lifted and was gloved by the batsman through to the keeper.

Carr's next ball accounted for Jack Tidy, also caught behind, and three balls later Carr clean bowled Kallum Ward. Blissett, who had been surveying the sorry procession of Reed batsman back to the pavilion, was now joined by Fynn.

The pair started the uphill task of trying to rebuild the innings, on a pitch which had been enlivened further by a scudding light shower which crossed the ground. Fynn struck the leg-spinner, Kashiff for 4, whilst Blissett, who had been batting obdurately against the bouncing and seaming ball, unfurled a square cut for 4 of Carr and then swept Kashiff for another 4.

Their partnership of 31 was broken however when Fynn chased a wide delivery and was caught at cover for 12. With eight wickets having now fallen Blissett attempted to accelerate and directed a sweep at a ball from Kashiff which was pitched over a foot outside his leg stump.

Unfortunately for the Reed Captain the ball bounced and turned prodigiously out of the bowlers' foot marks, and he was clean bowled for 19. Morss was caught of Kashiff a few balls latter, bringing Reed's sorry innings to a close for a total of 70.