Acle v Drayton 26th April 2009
Acle 250-2 Drayton 167-5
Drayton's first game of the season saw the Sunday side, under the stewardship of Jason Trett, travel to Acle. Acle's Sunday league side usually comprises a very young side, however it was clear on arrival that the side Drayton were playing resembled Acle's Saturday 'A' team. Trett lost the toss and Acle opted to have first use of a hard, but green pitch. Senior bowlers, Rob Raven and James Reeve struggled to find their length - not helped by the blustery conditions and as a result Ames and Nobbs were regularly able to penetrate the boundaries. Ryan Pointer was introduced to the attack and his extra bounce discomforted the Acle batsmen - and he was unfortunate to see two catches dropped off his bowling. Youngsters Fraser Dobson and Tom Barnes both bowled some demanding balls in their four over spells, however anything loose was punished. Ames reached his hundred and promptly retired, however this led to Drayton's first breakthrough as James Reeve forced Ward to play on. Nobbs moved smoothly to his century and also retired, which again led to a Drayton wicket as Pointer cleaned out the new batsman with a searing yorker. Drayton's ground fielding on the day was generally excellent - former captain Warren Kedge setting a fine example to the youngsters. Acle's final total was 250-2 (technically four wickets as the two openers retired).
In reply Acle's opening bowlers Notley and Barnham afforded Tim Woods and Philip Wright fewer loose balls than their Drayton counterparts, however both batsmen were able to pierce the field and find the boundary at regular intervals. Both players looked to get after Siddell, taking advantage of the short leg side boundary. Wright reached his fifty shortly after drinks and promptly stepped through the gears as 34 runs came up in three overs to give Drayton a theoritical shot at victory. Wright was eventually dismissed, playing one big shot too many, for 85 having struck 12 fours and 2 sixes. Woods also reached his fifty, but his wicket falling for 53 and that of Kedge - unluckily - meant any hope of Drayton victory disappeared. Thereafter James Reeve and Tony Gregory were able to use some valuable time in the middle before Reeve was run out - running on the shot rather than waiting to see if it had beaten the field. Tom Radford and Fraser Dobson also had time to demonstrate they have good technique and the courage to play at this level. All in all, whilst defeat was disappointing it should not dishearten this young team.