When Sprowston won the toss and inserted Drayton, Spaxman and Van Zanten bowled accurately on a wicket with a low bounce. The visitors’ fielding was upbeat. Scoring was difficult. At 12-2 after ten overs, they held the initiative. Richard Taylor and Mike Bown dug in and moved the score to 54 in the next eleven overs. Unfortunately, both got out having played themselves in.

The second half of the Drayton innings was dominated by Daz Flatt. The spectating Drayton team happily increased the target to 150, then 160, then 180 runs. Flatt was watchful at first, running quick singles with James Reeve and later Saul Simpson, who made a valuable 23 not out. Daz was eventually run out for 60, made in nineteen overs, with five huge sixes, one scattering the bowlers on the far side of the bowling green.

When Union batted, Roberts put up the most convincing opposition opening batsman’s performance of the season so far. Jason Trett and Jamie Scarff bowled well, but Roberts used his height to play forward defensively and hit elegantly on the up, through the covers. Young Drayton keeper Thomas Cooke aggravated a back injury after eight overs and was replaced with the gloves by Mike Sutton, while supersub Ryan Pointer came on to field.

Though Roberts and Johnson played and missed at some good balls, they put on 99 without loss by the 26th over, at which point drinks were taken and the NU umpire insisted that the ball be changed since its seam had been damaged by spikes. As one of the Union players suggested, the batsmen hardly looked troubled by this worn, unresponsive ball, but the umpire got his way. Unfortunately for Union, the replacement ball swung, and Johnson was immediately yorked by Flatt. Next over, Nigel Massingham bowled the dangerous Roberts for 58, and the momentum had swung Drayton’s way.

Wickets fell regularly now the dangerous Ramakrishnan went cheaply, well caught by Scarff off Flatt. There was a bonus in the form of a run out, calmly achieved by Will Herring and Massingham. Soon the asking rate was five an over and increasing.

Massingham’s accuracy and pace (or lack of it) made scoring difficult and he finished with 4-21 from 9 overs. Skipper Flatt bowled with typical aggression from the other end, taking 4-48 in 12 hostile overs. The 'Doctor' Jason Trett, whose first eight overs had cost a mere 16 runs, returned to bowl Union skipper Andrews, with Union 29 runs short.

There were no dropped catches, the relatively low bounce possibly contributing to the six bowled and one leg-before. Next week’s opponents, Tacolneston, managed a big win against Sprowston B and could present a stern challenge on their somewhat unpredictable wicket.