BRADFIELD won at Beccles in the Alliance Division One. Their first win of the season brought them 21 points to Beccles' five and leaves them to fourth in the table.

BRADFIELD won at Beccles in the Alliance Division One. Their first win of the season brought them 21 points to Beccles' five and leaves them to fourth in the table.

Winning the toss, skipper Yarham decided to bowl first and was soon rewarded when R Holmes reduced Beccles to 3-2 in the third over.

With M Reynolds plugging away at the other end runs were hard to come by. After a spell of three wickets in six overs R Holmes was replaced by Yarham, who continued from the previous week with some tight overs, bowling in tandem with S Holmes

Bradfield turned the screw and steadily picked up wickets backed up by some superb ground fielding from S Kimber, Reynolds and Grey.

The innings closed on 138-8 with Yarham returning figures of 1-20 from his 12 overs, S Holmes 2-29 from his 12 and R Holmes 3-37 from 11 overs.

The Bradfield reply got off to a solid start, putting on 19 before Abbs was caught in the slips. Bidewell and Wiseman took the score to 37 before Wiseman was run out.

Runs were hard to come by. O Kimber and Bidewell took the score to 71 before Kimber was adjudged lbw. Yarham and Bidewell moved the score to 117 before Yarham was caught attempting a big six. Bradfield lost two more wickets reaching their target and it was left to Bidewell and Reynolds to see the side home in the 43rd over with Bidewell finishing on 46 not out.

Bradfield A hosted the unknown quantity of newly-promoted Hethersett and Tas Valley A and won.

Vice-captain Chris Scannell said: “It's good to get a couple of early season victories under our belts.

“We're trying to develop a positive culture within the dressing room, and of course, a couple of well-fought victories does nothing but help build that ethos.

“It was good to see the skipper get some early season runs under his belt. He wants to lead by example, and certainly did so today.”

Hethersett batted on wicket that is a credit to groundsman William Wright.

Locke soon had the visitors in trouble, unsettling the timber with two wickedly swinging deliveries. Clive Balderstone (34) with Hethersett captain Travis Hunt (20) looked to open their shoulders but the Bradfield bowlers stifled the flow of runs by loading the off-side with fielders and backing themselves to bowl one side of the wicket.

Eddie Locke (2-24), Nick Bartholomew (1-29) and Alex Kimber (3-31) all managed this with aplomb.

Aided by a well-taken slip catch by Amies and an inspired run out by Scannell, the Bradfield bowlers reduced Hethersett to 79-5 before Steve Last (14) and Dave Austin (24) pushed the visitors past 100.

After seven straight overs, Amies called for one final push from the middle Kimber brother. He responded with two wickets, both lbw, in his penultimate over.

Hethersett's Nos 9 and 10 pushed their total to 153, Roberston (2-17) and Hannant (1-7) mopping up the Hethersett resistance.

Knowing that 153 was little more than a par score on a track offering little assistance for any type of bowling, the Bradfield opening pair of Amies and Cutting looked to cement an assured start for the home side.

They put on 86 before Cutting (55) retired to nurse several strains. Replacing last week's hero Josh Gray, who had been rewarded with a first team call, Alex Kimber struck a leisurely 17 before miscuing a lofted drive to long on.

After moving to his more preferred middle order position, Chris Scannell came together with Amies, who, after making a watchful 30 began to strike the ball with ever increasing confidence and style. With 153 in sight, Amies reached a half-century.

Bradfield reached their target for the loss of one wicket in the 34th over. Only Chappell managed to shackle the Bradfield charge, bowling nine overs for 16 runs.