Drayton 'A' v Old Catton 'A' 2nd August 2008

Drayton 'A' 286-3 Old Catton 'A' 185-7 Drayton 'A' have been able to turn out a pretty regular side this year, but on Saturday, against Old Catton 'A', four of the team who lost narrowly to Martham the previous week were unavailable. However, this meant it was possible to give a game to the ever-loyal Ryan Pointer, and it was also good to see a rejuvenated Saul Simpson donning the whites for Drayton.

There was a lot of rain about on Saturday morning but, by 2.00pm, Drayton’s ground seemed to have missed the worst. On a firm James Kay wicket, Graham Crowe and Mike Sutton got off to splendid start, putting on 49 in the first 11 overs, both cutting and pulling any short deliveries to the boundary. After that, Mike Sutton and Richard Taylor put on 145 for the second wicket. Twice, heavy rain forced them off on the second occasion, a sensible decision was made to take tea - but their contrasting styles and the left/right handed partnership made life more complicated for the Old Catton bowlers. Sutton made a chanceless 63 (8 fours). Taylor, in his usual aggressive mood, rode his luck, mixing 20 boundaries, all round the wicket, with several catching chances.

Once a rather knackered-looking Richard Taylor played on for a Drayton-best 102, the scene was set for The Mayhem Brothers, Mikey Bown (54*) and Jason Trett (23*), to put on 72 in 29 balls. Bown, hot from his 95 for the Sunday team, hit 7 sixes (three from consecutive balls) and one four. It all made professional Twenty 20 cricket look like a pretty slow-lane version of the game. A courting couple, suitable fascinated, sat down on the grass by the swings to watch.

At six o’clock and in brighter light, Old Catton started their chase against a new-look Drayton attack of Trett and Bown. Though both Knowles’ and skipper Lakey’s bats were beaten regularly, they batted sensibly, reaching 35 in the ninth over, with several good shots.

By this stage, the moisture from the rainfall had begun to seep into the wicket, making it slower and more like plasticene. Wickets did not come easily. Old Catton, despite playing and missing, went for their shots. (This was a match which produced a very high proportion of boundaries.) Fortunately, Simpson and Bown pouched catches successfully, and wickets fell steadily. Trett (2-53 in 12), who beat the bat regularly, eventually pitched the ball up and yorked two batsmen. Daz Flatt (2-42 in 12) also gained most from the fuller-pitched ball. At a slower pace, Mikey Bown (2-23 from 10) managed to make the ball grip. Wicket-keeper Jones and Smith both hit out, even when it was clear Old Catton could not win, and they duly achieved their fourth batting point.

The match eventually finished at 8.15, with several of Drayton’s senior players looking as if it was past their bedtimes. But it had been worth persevering: the 24 points gained raised the team’s average and thus their lead over promotion rivals. Once again, those good guys at Aviva (aka Norwich Union 'A') did the business, this time against Drayton’s potential promotion rivals, Sprowston 'B'. Next week’s game is against the consistently high-scoring Felthorpe, but the up-coming game against fast-improving Norwich Union is also starting to look like a definite challenge. RT.