Diss enjoyed a rewarding weekend on the cricket pitch, with a battling winning draw in the league followed by a huge victory at Bungay in the semi-finals of the Lady Mary Cup.

It started against third-placed Sprowston at Rectory Meadow on Saturday.

Diss lost the toss and batted in very testing conditions after some heavy overnight rain. Wilby (6) tried one too many big shots and was trapped in front by Pearce with the score on seven. Simon Cooper joined Ben Spinks and together they nudged the score up to 23. Spinks (6) fell to Hanby, caught in the slips, which brought the out-of-sorts David Tooke to the crease. Tooke and Cooper battled through the testing conditions and started to find some fluency only for the latter to perish for 30 in the 29th over with the score on just 54. Robert Tooke joined his brother at the crease, and to everybody's amazement made batting look easy as he trotted down the wicket and dispatched Hampson for a huge six in just his second ball faced. In an astonishing eight overs the Tooke brothers put on over 60 runs, and although most came from the bat of Robert, David still played with maturity.

Diss then faced a mini collapse as Robert (39), David (30), and C Cooper (4) all perished within eight runs of each over. Diss were bowled out in the last over for 176.

A good bowling performance was needed with the pitch drying.

Simon Cooper got Diss off to the perfect start as he had Palmer (1) caught and bowled with the score on seven. It was to be Diss' last success for quite some time, although the score went on to plunge from 95 for two to 106 for five. Mark Williamson instigated another batting collapse with three wickets as Sprowston finished on 170 for nine.

Diss: 176 all out (R Tooke 39, S Cooper 30) drew with Sprowston 170 for nine (M Williamson 3 for 21, R Tooke 3 for 33).

On Sunday, Diss earned themselves a Lady Mary Cup final clash with Bradenham at Manor Park – on July 17 – after beating Bungay by seven wickets with more than 20 overs left.

Given the job of taking the new rock were James Shepherd and Robbie West, who caused instant problems.

It wasn't until the 10th over that Diss struck, with West presenting Mattocks his lethal inswinger to bowl him off pole for 12. West showed his fantastic fitness levels to bowl his eight overs straight through, and was unlucky to finish with just the one scalp. With the openers now off, it was time for the spinners to come to the fore, and Rob Tooke and Chris Cooper both bowled with fine control, Tooke only going for three runs in his opening seven overs, as well as getting the essential wicket of Lewis, who went for a well-crafted 24.

With the pitch turning and bouncing, Diss looked to their most attacking bowler in Mark Williamson, and he and Cooper didn't give the batsmen a clue, Cooper finishing with quite brilliant figures of 8-2-11-4.

Shepherd joined Williamson, and both used subtle variations to keep the runs to a minimum.

Williamson bagged two more to finish with 3-31, as a brilliant all-round fielding display allowed Bungay to post a below-par 101.

In response the ever-fluent James Wilby, and a nervous-looking Ben Spinks took guard and looked in little trouble against inferior opponents.

However, Spinks (5) lost his off peg in the seventh over, looking to play across the line. Skipper Simon Cooper joined Wilby, but was dropped twice, and as Wilby fell for a pretty 25, Cooper soon followed for a very woolly 11. At the crease now were flat track bully Chris Cooper, and the stoic David Tooke.

With victory all but secured, Tooke planted a four into the splattering of away supporters, to finish on 23, with Cooper on a rapid 33, to pick up the man of the match award and wrap up a comfortable win.

Diss B beat Blundeston A by one wicket in Division Eight of the Norfolk League.