BOTH Sutton CC sides achieved creditable draws against the powerful Irby club on Saturday. The firsts travelled to the Wirral and asked the home side to bat first. There was much to admire in the Sutton bowling and fielding but centre stage was held by the league's best batsman Mike Newman who compiled 97 in Irbys' 166-3 declared in 48 overs. Mark Reynolds bowled beautifully for little reward and the support from Kieron Barr, Geoff Bowles and Martin Harvey was exemplary.

Suttons reply was anchored by Dave Hodgson and Steve Wearden who set up a fine position at 75-1 as the last 20 overs began. But Wearden was bowled for 25 by a shooter and Hogson then holed out on the boundary for a patient 39. Barr and Harvey pushed the score along but missing faces from Sutton's middle order meant that when these two were out Sutton had to settle for the draw on 121-8.

The seconds welcomed back the evergreen John Lawton for his first game of the year and he duly obliged with a superb 42 in an opening stand of 100 with Phil Jukes who smashed 52. Stu Rimmer and Ste Burrows pushed the home score to 158-2 declared at tea. Irby had a crack for the runs but three wickets to Roy Grice put the brakes on and the visitors had little choice but to put up the shutters, finishing on 92-6 giving Sutton the lions share of the points.

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