Drayton 'A' v Norwich Union 'A'

Drayton 'A' 102 Norwich Union 'A' 103-5

On a glorious, sunny day with a cooling breeze, Drayton’s batting again looked fragile against a Union side who bowled and fielded better than anyother opponents so far this season.

The wicket on the edge of the square looked good and hard. Certainly Tony Gregory, Graham Crowe and Richard Taylor (assistant curators) had lavished care on it! The outfield looked quick. Big scores looked imminent. However, though the wicket certainly had pace, it also had a bit of sideways movement and only a few batsmen looked comfortable on it all afternoon.

Union’s opening bowlers, Spaxman and S Huggins, managed swing from the start. Runs came slowly, despite the appearance of Jason Trett as an opener, reprising his role from the previous week. The score after 11 overs was 15-2, then 17-4 in 12 overs, after an unfortunate run-out. Union’s fielders supported their bowlers admirably. Skipper Crowe (14) dug in with Mike Sutton, who finished with 33, to move the score patiently into the 50s.

These two were the only to reach double figures. Though the tailed wagged bravely, 102 looked insufficient, that is until Jamie Scarff and Rob Reeve bowled three maidens at the start of the Union innings. With a lot of playing and missing (Scarff was particularly unlucky in his first spell), Union reached20 in 10 overs, at which point Reeve took 2 wickets, bowled three maidens, then took another Union 27-3 after 17 overs. Reeve was to finish with 3-34.

At this point, Bunn arrived and started to put the occasional loose ballaway to the boundary with powerful shots. Nigel Massingham, making a late appearance, caught and bowled the patient Union opener, A Huggins, which brought in Sachin Pavithran (not a bad first name for a batsman), and he and Bunn accelerated in the next eight overs, bringing Union to with insight of their target. Bunn had already hit Trett back over his head, then repeated the shot, hitting a flat screamer which had ‘Six!’ written allover it. Crowe, who had quietly moved himself to the boundary, took a remarkable catch to general murmurs of ‘Thank God he didn’t put me there!’

Pavithran looked the most accomplished batsman on view, with some graceful strokes, and he duly saw Union home.RT