The halfway stage of the season was reached with Diss in a comfortable third place in the league, entertaining Brooke one place below them.

This game saw the return of Tim Courridge, who learned his trade in the junior teams and is back at his spiritual home. Corridge, a genuine all-rounder, a fine batsman and spin bowler, will add a whole new dimension to the options open to skipper Dave Tooke.

Winning the toss and fielding 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 Parike, a prolific scorer of runs who almost single-handedly won Brooke promotion last season. He had scored ten when he went for a suicidal run from a ball that only went three yards from the stumps, and alert wicket keeper Tom Weal did the rest with a flying run out.

Simon Cooper replaced Germon, and in a fine spell of seam up dismissed Habershom caught and bowled, top scorer Shearere with a magnificent catch by Rob Tooke, and Pritty caught behind by Weal who again had a fine match, not conceding a bye.

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 wickets at the close.

To score 187 to win is something the confident 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, batting together in the only stand of any substance, 44, looked as if they could win the match. Scoring ten boundaries between them they made batting look easy with their fluent crisp strokes.

The introduction of Parike changed all this. He may have taken only two wickets, but they were vital ones, the Tooke brothers. Rob lifted his head and was bowled, and David well caught for a gritty 27, but more than this Parike slowed the scoring almost to a standstill as he mesmorised the middle order.

Where Diss looked to be cruising to victory they were now struggling to get 90 per cent of the Brooke total which would give them four extra points.

Despite the best efforts of tail enders Weal and Gooderham, Diss finished three runs short of the 90 per cent and were lucky not to lose outright as they held on to 165 for nine wickets and a losing draw at the close. As well as Parike, Habershom with three wickets and Key with two bowled well.

This was a disappointing performance, but Diss can put things right this week when they are at home to Topcroft who narrowly beat them in the first game of the season, with a 1pm start.

On Sunday Diss are away to Horsford in Norfolk NAIC first round losers cup, 1pm start.

Scores: Brooke 186 for 9 wickets: Shearere 41, S Cooper 3-39.

Diss 165 for 9 wickets: R Tooke 36, Habershom 3-41.

Losing draw for Diss.