TOPCROFT travelled to Swardeston looking for a positive result following the abandonment of last week's fixture. Topcroft skipper Shipley lost the toss and was asked to bat on a day where the weather looked as if it would play a part in proceedings.

TOPCROFT travelled to Swardeston looking for a positive result following the abandonment of last week's fixture.

Topcroft skipper Shipley lost the toss and was asked to bat on a day where the weather looked as if it would play a part in proceedings.

After a shower, play got under way with Swardeston opening bowlers Thelwell and Dolding bowling tightly, with the pitch offering good assistance.

Topcroft openers Hancock and Warburton took the score to 17 before Warburton was adjudged lbw off the bowling of Dolding for 13.

This brought Gunawardene to the crease, who got off the mark with a single through point before being removed by an agile catch by Amey, the Swardeston wicketkeeper.

Shipley was the next wicket to fall, bowled by Thelwell with the score 28-3.

Swardeston change bowler Nicholls then had Hancock trapped lbw for a hard-earned 15. Goodfellow joined Baldwin at the crease and set about rebuilding the innings, adding 40 runs to the total before Goodfellow was bowled for 17 by Nicholls.

Batty was then stumped off the bowling of ex-Zimbabwe international Murphy for one. Marshall came to the crease to join Baldwin and the pair set about increasing the score. Baldwin played some impressive strokes to take his score to 48, before he called for a run that was not there, and after meeting of minds in the middle of the wicket, Marshall sacrificed himself for 17.

Baldwin then fell to the bowling of Murphy for 48, quickly followed by wicketkeeper Taylor, leaving Topcroft in trouble at 132-9. Father and son duo, David and Ian Todd added 23 vital runs before D Todd was given out lbw for 11. The innings ended on 155 with I Todd finishing 10 not out.

Topcroft openers Marshall and Gunawardene started well giving nothing away. In the third over of the innings overseas player Murphy misjudged a delivery from Marshall and chipped it straight to mid-off where the difficult chance was put down. This was to prove costly for Topcroft.

Rain came and the players were forced from the field for 15 minutes. Soon after they returned, Jessop was caught by Baldwin off the bowling of Marshall to reduce Swardeston to 7-1.

This brought Goodrum to the crease who along with Murphy added 87 for the second wicket before being trapped lbw by Warburton for 27 with the score at 94-2. Topcroft's bowlers struggled to make any inroads into the Swardeston batting line-up and the score soon reached 136 before Marshall had Cooper caught for a well struck 29.

Marshall struck again to remove Murphy for 70 caught on the square leg boundary by D Todd, but by this point the damage had been done. Hogg hit the winning runs off the bowling of I Todd to wrap up a six-wicket win for the home team. Marshall was the pick of the bowlers with 3-36 off his 13 overs.

Topcroft will be looking to bounce back this weekend with a home match against Cromer, after their cup quarter final with Diss was abandoned on Sunday.

Cunningham's Auto man of the match: Rob Marshall.