Reed lost ground at the top of the Herts Cricket League Championship as they suffered a 32 run defeat – first defeat of the season – at the hands of Shenley Village.

Set a tagret of 139 to win by the home side, Reed's batting order was tore to shreds by Australian-born fast bowler Kris Nissen, who took six wickets as they were bowled out for 106.

Things were looking good for Reed early on as the visitors dismissed Shenley openers Charles Thurston for two and Lloyd Willingham for a duck, with Jack Tidey taking both wickets.

When Edward Wharton bowled third batsman Marwan Mohammed for two, it looked like a Shenley collapse was on the cards at 5 for 3.

Kiel Van Vollenhoven steadied the ship with a solid 18, before Morgan Stanley's 33 off 90 balls and Nissen's 44 off 91 saw Shenley get solid runs on the board.

Tom Greaves then trapped both Stanley and Nissen LBW, with himself and Tidey removing Fahim Akbar and Matthew Evans as Shenley finished on 138 for 9 from their 60 overs.

Greaves finished the innings with figures of 4-58, while Tidey impressed with 2-6.

Set a beatable target, Reed's hopes of a win were quickly put to bed by the brilliant fast bowling of Nissen.

He bowled openers Wharton for 9 and Zachary McGuigan for 20, before removing Robert Lankester and James Heslam who both scored single figures.

Reed were is disarray, and it got worse when Akbar got in on the act as he removed Stuart Smith and Richard Wharton - both caught by Willingham - either side of another Nissen wicket.

Greaves attempted to make a stand with the bat, hitting 20 not out, but their order continued to collapse around him as Akbar got Tody Fynn and Richard Turpie, before Tidey finished the visitors off.

Reed just couldn't deal with the pace and swing of Nissen, who finished the afternoon with figures of 6-33, while Akbar also bowled well, recording 3-26.

The results sees Reed drop to third and lose ground at the top of the table, with Shenley replacing them in a second.

Hoddesdon pulled further away at the league's summit with a win over Leverstock Green, and Reed will now be looking over their shoulders as fourth placed Flitwick picked up their third win of the season, beating Ampthill Town by four wickets.

Reed will be hoping to put the Shenley defeat behind them next weekend, when they travel to sixth placed Dunstable.