Great Yarmouth's slow start to the season continued on Saturday with a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Ketteringham Hall in Norfolk League Division Two.

Great Yarmouth's slow start to the season continued on Saturday with a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Ketteringham Hall in Norfolk League Division Two.

Winning the toss, Yarmouth captain Ruddick had no hesitation in choosing to bat first in glorious sunny conditions.

Ruddick and Sole got the innings off to a solid start although a well-set field saw runs initially hard to come by.

New-ball pairing P Bush and Petzol bowled a tight line and length and only 11 runs came from the first eight overs.

Acceleration was needed and Ruddick led the way with some well-timed blows through the leg side.

The 50 mark was passed in the 22nd over, and with Sole starting to open the runs began to come at a good pace.

Ketteringham Hall finally made a breakthrough with the score on 93 as change bowler A Bush bowled Ruddick (45).

Hak (13) joined Sole and, after surviving an early appeal, went on to play a cameo that pushed the score to 108 before skying one to give A Bush his second scalp. With the score at 108-2 from 30.1 overs with plenty of batting to come, Yarmouth seemed well placed for a score in excess of 200.

Sole (36) was caught on the long on boundary off Walker, but it was A

Bush taking three wickets in three overs, accounting for Hak, Nicholls (17) and Fitzsimmons (5), that really turned the tide.

The boundaries were cut off and the inevitable run-out followed as Thompson (12) was called through to an early demise. Only 14 runs came from the final five overs as Yarmouth limped through to close on 169-7.

A Bush was the star with the ball, finishing with 5-37.

Yarmouth new-ball pairing White and Vickers caused problems from the start. Much playing and missing was evident but precious little in the way of chances.

Then White gave the home team hope, producing an unplayable delivery that M Smith (15) left as it headed down

leg side before swinging back to clip the off-stump.

R Smith joined Sprong and any hopes of a collapse were dashed as the pair took the game away from Yarmouth.

Sprong, in particular, was in turn watchful and destructive, seeming to prefer to deal almost exclusively in boundaries.

The pair added 71 for the second wicket before Smith looped a catch up to mid-off to give Ruddick (1-40) a wicket.

Any hopes of a fightback were dashed as Sprong and Howes took the visitors to level before White, returning to the attack, claimed Howes (24), leaving Sprong to hit the winning run.

Sprong finished 75 not out, with 60 of those runs coming in boundaries.

Burton Arms man of the match: S Ruddick (45), leading from the front.