Title celebrations still on hold for Barr

Ben Steele • Published 10 Sep 2009 10:00 0 Comments

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READING skipper David Barr hailed his young team as their remarkable late season charge was rewarded with the Division Two West title.

Reading hammered Falkland by six wickets at Sonning Lane on Saturday, and, combined with Gerrards Cross' shock defeat at Beaconsfield, that was enough to see them finish top of the pile.

However, Barr's men cannot afford to break open the champagne yet to toast a return to Division One at the first attempt.

Long time leaders Aston Rowant are still waiting to hear the result of their appeal over a 25-point deduction handed down following an extraordinary punch-up in their game with Basingstoke & North Hants.

That appeal is expected to be heard in the next seven to 10 days, and if the decision is reversed, it will be Rowant who take their spot in the top flight.

But whichever way the decision comes down, Barr admits to being thrilled by his side's title push.

He said: "Obviously we are waiting to hear the result of the appeal, and I can't comment on it until the decision is reached.

"But whatever happens I've been really pleased with the season - particularly the second half.

"When people were talking about the title contenders at the start, no one really mentioned Reading.

"Some people thought we might drop like a stone after last year's relegation and the upheaval afterwards.

"But I had always thought that there was enough ability in our ranks to compete with anybody, so our final position is not a surprise for me."

Reading seemed to be out of the title picture after a slow first half to the season, which saw them win just one of their opening nine games.

But they put on the afterburners for the second nine games, to secure seven wins out of nine, including a run of five victories to finish with and propel themselves to the head of affairs.

And Barr explained: "It's a bit like a middle distance runner who comes from the back and just manages to cross the line first.

"We never had the pressure of leading and they always say it is easier to chase in those situations.

"I think the key was our win over Gerrards Cross when Shelvin Gumbs hit a fantastic century and got us a win from nowhere.

"We really kicked on from there, had a bit more luck with the availability of players and managed to keep the momentum going."

Reading's recent form has been based around a number of fine individual displays with both bat and ball.

Evergreen leg spinner David Hartley enjoyed a season to remember, breaking the club's Home Counties League record for wickets in a season with 59, including four seven-wicket hauls.

With the bat, young strokeplayers such as Danny Housego, Gumbs, Simon Steel and Benny Howell all played match-winning innings during the campaign.

And the captain has backed those players to rise to the challenge again if they make the move back to Division One.

"Division One cricket would certainly present a new series of challenges to those guys," Barr admitted.

"But you would hope that after another winter's work they will be ready for that step up.

"Saying that, Division One is a strong league - there is a big gap between that and Division Two cricket - and I think we would be looking to recruit players if we do indeed go up."

Reading fulfilled their part of the deal in some style on Saturday as they cruised to victory over Falkland before tea.

Having put their West Berkshire rivals into bat, Jamie Hoddle - watched on the sidelines by his father, former England football manager Glenn - dismissed both openers with just four on the board.

Opening partner Neil Saker (2-46) soon got in on the act as well as wickets kept tumbling, before Hartley started to deal with the middle order to reduce Falkland to 92-8.

Former captain Mark Foster (40no) then joined forces with current skipper George Trewby (10) to put on 43 for the ninth wicket.

Hartley was the man to break the stand, however, and quickly picked up last man Muhammed Khan to finish with 4-31 as Falkland were dismissed for 140.

The Reading reply did not get off to the best start when Khan trapped Saker LBW for a single. But the in-form Steel then joined his captain at the crease and set about knocking the runs off in stunning style.

He launched a devastating attack on the Falkland bowling to hammer 44 from just 30 balls, including 10 boundaries, five of which came in one Khan over.

He eventually fell to a spectacular catch on the boundary by Tom Heath, following a stand of 68.

And when Barr was caught at slip off Khalid Zafar in the next over for 17, the jitters could have set in.

But Howell continued the assault with 31 from 20 balls before falling LBW.

And it was left to Gumbs (19no from 23 balls) and Tom Fray (22no from 12) to see the hosts to victory on 143-4 in the 21st over.

Sonning Lane was then left to wait for the result from South Bucks, and when it emerged that Cross had fallen 78 runs short of their victory target of 225 the celebrations could - provisionally - begin.

Barr said: "It was another very good display, and we finished so early that we were left waiting around for a couple of hours to hear how Gerrards Cross had got on.

"Obviously there is still the appeal to come, so it's up in the air a bit, but if it comes our way then we will obviously take it. If not we will still be thrilled with a good season."

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