TOPCROFT entertained Hales & Loddon in an Alliance derby encounter and gained a winning draw.

Hales & Loddon won the toss and Topcroft were asked to make first use of the wicket. Topcroft were soon in trouble as the skipper was bowled by M Lovick with the score on eight.

Things soon went from bad to worse when Baldwin followed Hancock back to the pavilion after he was adjudged to have edged behind to S Armiger in Lovick’s next over.

With the score on 8-2 after six overs Ben Davey joined Ian Todd and the pair went about rebuilding the innings against Lovick and Anderson. Todd and Davey really knuckled down and despite being interrupted again by the rain on two further occasions they started to take the attack to the opposition’s bowlers.

Hales & Loddon knew that they had to mix things up and they introduced Jones and Nunn into the attack in attempt to break the third-wicket partnership, however Todd and Davey had now started to accelerate the run rate.

Todd completed a well-structured 50 and was now starting to hit-out when he drove the ball straight back to Kevin Jones who did well to gather and return it to Armiger to run out Todd for 62 with the score on 101.

James Goodfellow was the next man in and he and Davey were looking to carry on where they left off against Mattishall last week.

Both batsmen were strong in defence whilst picking off anything that was even slightly lose.

Some good running saw Ben Davey bring up his 50 before he was bowled by the returning Lovick in the 43rd over. By now Goodfellow was in full flow and he brought up his 50 with a boundary off his legs, Goodfellow was able to commandeer the majority of the strike and supported by Rostron, Marshall and Todd got Topcroft a respectable score of 219-6.

However Topcroft did concede five penalty runs after being warned for running on the wicket.

Topcroft opened the bowling with Ian Todd and Rostron and were seeking an early breakthrough against a side that were bowled out in the previous week for just 48. David Harmer clearly had other ideas and looked stubborn in defence, however Todd had Armiger caught behind from an excellent delivery.

Squires was the next man in and he and Harmer took the score past 50, helped by some wayward bowling from the hosts. Goodfellow and David Todd were introduced into the attack and Goodfellow was the man who broke the partnership with a ball that hurried Harmer who could only send a top edge high into the air, where the bowler had the composure to take the catch.

The Hales innings ticked along with the batsman struggling to get after D Todd’s bowling but whilst not offering many chances.

Topcroft knew that they had to keep the pressure on and take any chances that came along and this is what Davey did as he held onto a straight drive from Squires off the bowling of Todd to break an excellent partnership of 98, with the score on 163.

This sparked a flurry of wickets as Todd struck again in the same over to remove M Stewart lbw after he inexplicably tried to heave the bowler across the line.

Topcroft now had their tails up and Ben Baldwin clean bowled Jones for one. Summons was the next man to go as Todd removed him lbw and it was left to the Anderson brothers to try and steer the visitors to a losing draw.

Topcroft sensed victory when Rostron removed both brothers in the space of two overs, which left him five balls to claim the last two wickets, unfortunately after a strong appeal for a leg before Nunn earned the visitors a share of the points with a giant six over square leg.

The match was sponsored by Regional Freight Services.

Topcroft: C Hancock b Lovick 3, I Todd run out Jones 62, B Baldwin c Armiger b Lovick 0, B Davey b Lovick 53, J Goodfellow not out 78, G Rostron b Lovick 8, R Marshall c Harmer b Lovick 2, D Todd not out 0; extras 13. Total (50 overs) 219-6. Bowling: R Andersen 13-4-61-0, M Lovick 13-2-56-5, K Jones 12-2-43-0, S Nunn 12-2-55-0.

Hales: D Harmer c-b Goodfellow 21, S Armiger c Hancock b Todd 2, P Squire c Davey b DTodd 62, M Stewart lbw D Todd 45, A Jones b Baldwin 1, G Summons lbw D Todd 1, C Anderson c I Todd b Rostron 13, R Andersen c Goodfellow b Rostron 8, S Nunn not out 9, K Jones not out 0; extras 36. Total (50 overs) 201-8. Bowling: I Todd 9-2-38-1, G Rostron 12-1-39-2, J Goodfellow 5-0-23-1, D Todd 13-2-40-3, R Marshall 6-0-25-0, B Baldwin 5-0-16-1.

Roll of Honour: James Goodfellow 78 not out, Ian Todd 62, Ben Davey 53.