Mattishall bounced back from the previous weekend's poor performance to record a winning draw against Stow in Norfolk Alliance Division One.Due to the poor weather, the game was reduced to 30 overs per side and play finally got under way an hour after the scheduled start.

Mattishall bounced back from the previous weekend's poor performance to record a winning draw against Stow in Norfolk Alliance Division One.

Due to the poor weather, the game was reduced to 30 overs per side and play finally got under way an hour after the scheduled start.

Mattishall lost the toss once again and were asked to bat first for the sixth consecutive league game.

With two new openers, Mattishall wanted a positive start. However, as has been a regular occurrence this season, two wickets fell early with the score on just 11.

Mattishall then began to rebuild with the prolific Garth Stoltz and Nathan Gostling, with Stoltz being particularly brutal to anything short.

Stoltz's free-flowing nature appeared to loosen the shackles of Gostling, who began to play some nice strokes. The pair put on 78 before Gostling fell to a very accomplished 40.

Another quick wicket fell as Mattishall tried to chase runs towards the end of their innings, which brought Paul Beaumont together with Stoltz and those two put on 48 in the last five overs before Stoltz and Beaumont fell for 72 and 26 respectively.

This left the score at a very competitive 164 from the 30 allotted overs.

To get a win Mattishall knew that the bowling and fielding had to be consistent, and the two openers started well with tight bowling and two early wickets, to leave the score on 34-2 from nine overs.

However, within five overs the score had accelerated to 65, until the captain Neil Lockwood brought himself on to bowl, which led to a collapse.

Stow lost seven wickets for just 39 runs as Lockwood (5-19) and Gostling (2-20) ran amok.

Just as it looked as if Mattishall were set for a big win, the last pair for Stow stubbornly stuck in and were not out at the close, with Stow finishing on 111-9 and Mattishall claiming a good winning draw as they set out on Saturday against Beccles away

Mattishall A put in one of their poorest performances for years to lose by 29 runs at Overstrand in Norolk League Division Four.

The start was delayed slightly by steady drizzle, and when play started, Mattishall were asked to bowl first on a wicket that had been covered, but with the ball rapidly soaked by the wet outfield.

The opening bowlers could not find length or line and Overstrand made 44 off the first six overs before Mattishall steadied things.

From there, Mattishall got on top, but missed chances prevented them from really keeping the score down. J Spalding and J Grant both took two wickets but it was the off-spinner Mark Stokes who had the most success, running through the lower middle order to finish with 6-46. K Talbot took two good catches in the outfield as Overstrand closed on an over par 175.

When Mattishall replied, the wicket, which had been variable to say the least, seemed to deteriorate, with balls now shooting as well as leaping from a length.

In addition, the Overstrand skipper was getting the ball to turn square.

After he tempted Mayers to leave his crease for a solid 23, I Weetman (27) and M Stokes (53) consolidated, but could never get on top of the bowling due to the unpredictable surface.

Weetman was first to go, with 75 needed off the last 10 overs. But the following six batsmen contributed only two runs between them as they tried to reach the required rate.

Last man Grant at least made a game of it, scoring a fine 15 not out in conjunction with Stokes, who was last out for a fighting 53.