Scalps keep coming
“It was one of those days when they nicked everything ... to get eight was pretty cool”
WITH five catches to his name and another three wickets in the shed, Bell Post Hill’s Matthew Reid knew he was on the cusp of something special.
And with fellow wicketkeeper Tim Sells by his side, Reid jokingly mentioned to his teammate that the club legend’s record of seven dismissals in a match was set to be broken.
By 5pm last Saturday, Reid had etched his name in the history books with seven catches and a stumping against Highton.
“It was a bizarre day,” Reid said.“It was one of those days when they nicked everything — and you don’t normally get that many chances in a game.
“So to get eight was pretty cool.”
Reid’s previous best was five dismissals in an innings, a feat he’d achieved many times in his career.
“When I got five there was still three or four wickets left. ‘Sellsy’ had the record at the club and every time I got five (dismissals) I’d say to him ‘I’m going to get you here’,” Reid said.
“Then I got six, seven and obviously eight, so it was a weird day.”
Reid admitted he quietly mentioned to Sells that he was on track to beat his record set in 2000-01 against St Joseph’s, but never truly believed it would happen.
“I told him I was getting close, then I got the last three wickets and I was pretty happy,” Reid said.
“I’ve got that over him now. I’ve just got to catch him in overall dismissals.”
Reid, who has been part of the Panthers’ first XI since 2009, credited much of his success to teammate Tim Horan, who tore through the Highton batting line-up.
“Tim got 6-20 and he was just putting the ball in good areas and they were nicking them,” Reid, 27, said.
“On any other day you wouldn’t get any. Six were nicks and one was a top-edge — Brad Scown top-edged one into the air and one was stumped.
“They were pretty simple chances . . . all of them. Anyone could have taken seven or eight on a day like that, to be honest.
“It was a pretty flat deck ... the scores don’t reflect how good the pitch was. It was pretty ordinary batting from both sides.”
Reid is the first wicketkeeper in GCA first XI history to claim eight scalps in an innings.
He joins South Barwon’s T. Catstick (1928-29) and Con Grapsas (1976-77), Leopold’s Clint McHenry (1991-92), Newtown & Chilwell’s Jamie McDonald and Sells in taking seven catches in an innings.
Bell Post Hill meets Manifold Heights in Round 5 action today.