After a poor few weeks, the second team was looking distinctly stronger with the return of some key players. The visitors were Netherton second eleven, who like Adwalton had suffered badly in their opening four fixtures of the season.
Continued bad luck in the coin toss meant again the opposition were choosing their fate, and with only nine men on the team sheet they opted for a bat. Not a significant disadvantage as Adwalton were to bowl on what was a green wicket covered in places by a thin layer of moss offering unpredictability.
Dean Jackson had returned to the game, playing second team cricket and offering a new impetuous in attack. A threat that was to pay off in the first ball of the game as a ball cut wildly back from outside off stump to clip the top of the wicket and provide a diamond duck to a disconcerting batsman. It was an ideal start, and one that was built on just four balls later as Jackson again pummeled the wicket to dismiss their number three.
At the other end, James Emmott continued his fine form from the previous week shaping the ball away from the batsman and drawing them into a shot. It was this technique that was rewarded with an edge on more than one occasion only to be disappointed as he was let down by catches downed in the field.
Jackson continued to threaten, and dismissed the other opener as Nick Gowland took a stunning slip catch after the ball flew up off the wicketkeepers glove. And then as Emmott was replaced by Lyles, Matty quickly got in the wickets, at times with some loose but seemingly effective bowling.
To mop up the tail Andrew Ingham joined the party as he picked up three wickets, again with a catch from Nick Gowland and the first stumping of the season, as wicketkeeper Palfreeman benefited from a naive young batsman.
Chasing a total of only 79 it was easy to get complacent, but unwise after the performances of the past few weeks. However, anchored by Graham Johnson with an unbeaten 36 not out, Adwalton cruised to an easy victory.