Despite the few showers recently, the pitch dried quicker than expected leaving a variety of cracks most of which were thought unlikely to influence the game between Muddies Green and Norths.

Nevertheless, Muddies Green, in winning the toss chose to bowl first and Sorensen was unlucky not to break through with an early dropped catch from his 0/10.

The runs dried up after an early flurry and Sorensen assisted in creating pressure with his partner Smith 1/17 after each had completed 6 overs to have Norths 1/27.

Julian Harrold, in his return to the Muddies after a few years away, was surprisingly introduced early as first change and rewarded in his fourth over and sixth over to have figures of 2/2.

Meanwhile, Smith, with calculated discipline at the other end, was destroying the batting line up in a spell to remember.

Norths fell from 1/29 to be 9/38 in the space of 9 overs. Smith was taken for 12 runs off his last 2 overs to finish with 8/33 off a 13.1 over spell.

New player Vishah Arora, along with Redfern, Walz, Miglioranza and Doble, all took catches to assist in scrapping Norths for 52.

Muddies felt the pitch had played ok and set about the chase for first innings points, but a few jitters set in after both openers were out softly 2/19 then 4/40, but an 8 over 52 run partnership between a sometimes big hitting Redfern (41) and Harrold (31) each with sixes, set up for the tail to wag.

Arora managed a promising 17 in a 31 run stand with Walz (12) and Armour contributing 7no as Muddies, who were intending to declare overnight, instead lost their last wicket in the final over, happily some 95 runs ahead of Norths.

This lead should be sufficient with a full day of play ahead to pressure Norths again and provide the Muddies an opportunity to chase outright points, especially with their depth of other bowlers - should they be needed of course!