THIS week Diss are at home to Topcroft, who narrowly beat them in the first game of the season, 1pm start. On Sunday Diss are away to Horsford in Norfolk NAIC first round losers cup.

THIS week Diss are at home to Topcroft, who narrowly beat them in the first game of the season, 1pm start.

On Sunday Diss are away to Horsford in Norfolk NAIC first round losers cup. After a disappointing show last weekend, Diss will hope to do better.

The halfway stage of the Norfolk Alliance Premier League season was reached with Diss in a comfortable third place in the league, entertaining Brooke. This game saw the return of Tim Courridge, who learned his trade in the junior teams and has returned to his spiritual home at Diss. Tim, a genuine all-rounder, a fine batsman and spin bowler, will add a new dimension to the options open to skipper Dave Tooke.

Winning the toss, the visitors were asked to bat, and found the going difficult on a bumpy wicket. The score had reached 27 when Reynolds was well caught by David Tooke off the bowling of Germon. This brought in Australian Parke, a prolific scorer of runs who almost single handedly won Brooke promotion last season. He had scored 10 when he went for a suicidal run. Alert wicketkeeper Tom Weal did the rest with a flying run-out. Simon Cooper dismissed Habershon caught and bowled, top scorer Shearer with a magnificent catch by Rob Tooke and Pretty, caught behind by Weal. Courridge took a vital wicket on his return and only a stubborn 38 from skipper Panter, batting much too low at number nine, took the score to 186-9 at the close.

To score 187 to win is something the Diss batsmen have taken in their stride this season, but not this time. S Cooper, Wilby and Dawson all perished early on to some accurate bowling. Rob Tooke and Chris Cooper batted together in the only stand of any substance; 44 looked as if they could win the match. They made batting look easy with their fluent crisp strokes. The introduction of Parke changed all this. He may only have taken two wickets, but they were vital ones - the Tooke brothers.

While Diss looked to be cruising to victory they were now struggling to get 90pc of the Brooke total which would give them four extra points. Despite the best efforts of tailenders Weal and Gooderham, Diss finished three runs short of the 90pc and were lucky not to lose outright as they held on for 165-9 and a losing draw.

Scores: Brooke 186-9. Shearer 42, S Cooper 3-39. Diss 165-9. R Tooke 36, Habershon 3-41. Losing draw for Diss. Diss 7, Brooke 16.

Diss man of the match: Robert Tooke for an innings of aggression and beauty.