Bradenham first team started their Alliance Division Two campaign with an away trip to a chilly Beccles.

After winning the toss, skipper Al Bates chose to field first and was unlucky not to have a wicket first ball when a good lbw shout was turned down.

He was further frustrated a few overs later when a chance went down in the gully and the Beccles openers were able to build a strong foundation. Ollie Mowles was introduced into the attack with the score on 45 and provoked Fisher into a rash shot first ball that was well caught by Rob Ellis.

However, this proved to be a false dawn as the second wicket partnership continued to accumulate runs with little alarm. They had reached 181 when Iain Brown's second spell started a collapse. He clean bowled Porter who had made 84 and in the following over Bates removed new man Wright. Brown then took two wickets in his next over to reduce Beccles to 187-5. Bradenham's fightback was a little late but Brown (4-54) and Bates (3-24) both took further wickets as Beccles closed on 220-8. With no obvious demons in the pitch the visitors felt that this was a total that could be chased down. Having hurt his back whilst keeping in the first innings Steven Matthews deployed a runner from the start (Brown). This was an unusual sight and always going to be a run-out opportunity.

Opener Ryan Adcock was well caught at slip with the score on 21 and the feared run out soon followed as Brown was slow to react and failed to make his ground.

Small partnerships were formed and then broken throughout the innings as Bradenham never really took control of the Beccles attack. Wickets fell every 20 runs or so until the tail resisted less.

Brown was last man out, dismissed for the second time in the innings, as Bradenham mustered just 123, with Marcus Evans leading the way on 24. Bradenham are at home to Downham A on Saturday.

Mattishall also made a losing start in Division One, going down by seven wickets at home to Stow. Despite a partnership of 104 for the fourth wicket between Ben Parkyn (66) and Jason Cole (62) the hosts could only get up to 180. It was a target that proved no problem for Stow, who finished on 187-3 in the 31st over, with Otto Esse making 74 and Keith Thomspon 64. Mattishall visit Norwich A on Saturday.