O 50's v Suffolk
Suffolk 50+ ECB 118 all out. K Bushell 4-24. A King 3-16. I.H.Bix 2-25 M.Lester 1-12
Norfolk 50+ ECB 119-5. M.C. Pearse 42
A superb win for Norfolk O50 ECB saw them back on track for the play offs with a 5 wicket win over much vaunted rivals Suffolk. A new venue, Halvergate, saw the visitors take one look at the track, win the toss and bat. Ahem, a big mistake. Not enough rain! The wicket wasn’t to the visitors liking and they complained about it from the first ball, which sowed many seeds of doubt.. Mark Lester and Ian Bix stuck the knife in and wickets tumbled as helmets ruled. When Keith Bushell, fast for a 50 year old, entered the fray, his pace was too much for four unfortunates and Norfolk turned the screw, Andy King’s spin 3-16 backing up Bushell’s 4-24. Opener Walters top score of 22, showed up Suffolk’s demise. Norfolk knew the target and opener Martin Pearse, in his 15th ECB season, was brought up on sporting wickets. Despite losses of Rice (5) Coote (16) and Dungar (1) he kept one end up and put together the match winning stand of 36 with Dickie Sayers (20).
Pearse eventually went in the 27th over for 42 with the score on 100, job virtually done and Peter Thomas with 14 not out finished off the proceedings, Suffolk’s lively attack never gaining the parity it needed.