Bar eased through to play Harpenden at home in Round 2 of the County Cup with some fun in the sun at the picturesque Reed ground where the boys were greeted by a flatter than flat pitch, an outfield you could eat your dinner off and a team looking forward to picking their wits against.

Bar lost the toss and found themselves being put in, so it was a good opportunity to give the people who didn’t have the chance for a bat yesterday or at Henley to have some practice in the sun.

Bar managed to rack up their highest ever score in a competitive game, eclipsing their effort in 2005 when they scored 403 for 5 against Langleybury. Thanks to Len Cooper hitting 138 (I had said to him the night before I reckoned he get 150) James Kettleborough 107, a 33-ball 79* from Marc Milligan and 48 from Will van der Maat, saw Bar make and enormous and frankly farcical 411 for 5 from 50 overs.

To be fair to Reed their opening bowler Jack Tidey said on the boundary after 20 minutes we’d get 400, so he’s clearly a decent judge.

In the reply Reed started well and youngster Will Heslam looks a real find as he made 85 from 98 balls and although the hosts made 311 for 8 there was a great deal of freebies as the attack if it were a war zone it would be mainly described as extremely friendly fire. Once the first wicket had gone at 80 in the 11th over had the game had been in the back garden, I would have drawn the curtains.

To Reed, thanks for a lovely day. The facilities they have are good, the wicket and ground was exceptional, the tea as good as you’ll see and they have a great little club with 4 elevens and for a village the size of a postage stamp, that’s a hell of an effort and I’d expect them to go well this year in Division 2 and return to Division One.

Bar now entertain Harpenden on Sunday June 24 with the winners entertaining either North Mymms or Hemel Hempstead in late July.