CRICKET: Diss travelled away to Lowestoft for a pre-season friendly and found themselves batting first.

Benji Spinks (MoM) and Simon Cooper got Diss off to a decent start.

The first wicket fell with 44 runs on the board with Cooper (9) coming unstuck against a short ball that didn't bounce as expected.

Will Dawson played some nice shots in his 18 but was undone by an ugly waft outside the off-stump.

However, the next stand was to be decisive as Robert Tooke joined Spinks, and together they amassed 121 runs at over a run-a-ball. Tooke blasted his way to an entertaining 69, as his partner, Spinks, flourished with some wonderful crisp strikes all around the wicket. Spinks was eventually trapped in front for 94, but his combined total of five hours at the crease in the two warm-up matches should stand him in good stead when the league starts on Saturday against reigning champions Downham.

David Tooke (22 not out) and Chris Cooper (16) finished off the innings in typically aggressive style and after their allotted 45 overs Diss had posted a daunting 252-5.

The Lowestoft innings was a bit of a non-event as Diss never let them back into the match. New recruit, James Shepherd, picked up the first wicket in his opening over with the new ball; David Tooke taking the simple catch at cover.

It didn't take long for his opening partner, Germon, to get into the action as he had Garrod brilliantly caught in the gully by Dawson. Germon picked up a further three wickets as his metronomic line and length bowling was too good for the Lowestoft middle order.

The final five wickets were spread between Chris Cooper, Jamie Allen and Will Dawson as Lowestoft crashed to 126 all out.

Allen certainly gave the skipper something to think about as his excellent four-over spell, resulting in two wickets, came as a big surprise.