Drayton 'A' v Sprowston 'B' 30th August 2008

0.07: Licence to Thrill. Drayton 'A' 193-6 Sprowston 'B' 103-8

Drayton went into the final league match of the season needing three points to achieve promotion (though who knows which division any team will be playing in, if Alliance expansion goes ahead?). So, when Sprowston won the toss and inserted Drayton on a firm wicket, surrounded by a lush outfield left a little higher in anticipation of the soccer season, 120 runs (and three batting points) was the first target.

Sprowston’s openers bowled well, with the seventeen-year-old Askham developing good pace, a little swing and showing good control. The young fielders supported their bowlers athletically: this was the best fielding side Drayton had seen all season. Openers Mike Sutton and Chris Coupland batted judiciously at three an over, until Coupland was caught attacking a shorter ball. A succession of young left arm, over the wicket bowlers and shrewd, defensive field settings kept boundaries to a minimum. Both Sutton and Richard Taylor were caught, trying to force the pace.

Enter Mikey Bown, playing his last league game for Drayton before returning with Melanie to the Land of the Long White Cloud. He looked in good touch and determined to sign off with a big one, his determination evident in watchful defence against the good balls. Promotion was duly gained.

Sensibly, the other batsmen played round Bown. 180 started to look a distinct possibility with four overs to go. Two massive sixes and some frenetic running saw Bown to a splendid 83 not out and Drayton to 193-6 (probably worth thirty more on a drier, shorter outfield).

Finely-chopped red onions gave the egg sandwiches at tea a little edge, and certainly Jason Trett seemed fired up as he made spectacular inroads into the Sprowston batting, clean bowling both openers on what was becoming an increasingly dead wicket. He finished with the remarkable figures of 12-4-13-3. Nigel Massingham (10-5-15-1) was miserly; Daz Flatt 10-3-24-3 was fierce (he is starting to look like Daniel Day Lewis in ‘There Will Be Blood’). Corcoran, who has been known to score very rapidly, unwisely tried a second run to Trett on the boundary. His partner knew better and stayed in his crease. When both ended up at the same end, a hard, one-bounce throw to Massingham removed Sprowston’s last realistic chance of making the 194 target.

At this point, Sprowston decided to abandon the chase and opted for batting points, building slowly to 80 and then towards 120. Davy, who scored a patient, well-made 26 not out and, later, young Ferguson played Drayton’s bowlers with straight bats. Even Bown, given the honour of bowling the 45th over, couldn’t shift them.

Though, Sprowston were arguably the more athletic ground fielders overall, Drayton managed a third consecutive week without dropping a catch. Graham Crowe’s tumbling catch at short leg, Trett’s and Massingham’s pouchings of hard drives at mid-off and Mike Sutton’s catch behind supporting their bowlers.

Sums were checked. The team believed they’d done just enough to thwart Martham. At The Bull, Graham Crowe’s Martham spy phoned to confirm that Martham had scored 25 points, not 26, so Drayton were home and dry, by all of 0.07 points.