There was good news and bad news for the hosts on the opening morning of the Norfolk Cricket Festival.

Northumberland arrived without Jacques du Toit, the South African whose brilliant 95 ended Norfolk's MCCA Trophy hopes in Jesmond last month, his place taken by a 21-year-old who'd been out for a duck while playing for his club the previous day.

Unfortunately for Norfolk, Sam Jobson turned his unexpected late call up into a spectacular personal triumph. By lunch Northumberland had made 162 without loss. And Jobson had made 116 of them.

Punishing Norfolk severely for two dropped chances, one of them at gully off Michael Eccles at the very start of his innings, the other a few overs later in the slips off Ben France, he went on to make 123 off 140 balls with 18 fours and three sixes. His first wicket partnership with Daniel Young (69) was worth 171.

It was not the only big stand of the Northumberland innings. When it seemed the dam might have broken with the fall of four wickets, captain Adam Cragg (66) and Joe Coyne (57) shored it up by putting on 120 for the fifth, Coyne's runs coming at better than a run a ball

Norfolk, themselves missing four probable starters, stuck with it, however, with spinners Ryan Findlay and skipper Chris Brown rewarded with two wickets each from their marathon spells in challenging conditions while paceman Keiran Bunting also bagged a couple late on as Northumberland finished on 358-7.

That left 24 overs to negotiate at the end of the day. And although Nathan Perry-Warnes was caught behind for only five, James Spelman cracked six boundaries in his unbeaten 33, France was still with him at the end, having determinedly kept his powder dry while scoring three from 45 deliveries.

'The two dropped chances off the young opener proved really costly,' said Brown. 'But then he chanced his arm and played some good shots.

'It was a tough day, especially before lunch when we didn't quite put the ball in the right areas often enough. After lunch I thought young Ryan Findlay, in only his second game, bowled nicely, dropped the ball right on a length, got some to spin and helped us to get some control.

'I thought the lads also did well at the end, especially James Spelman. Now we need to build on that tomorrow (Monday).'

Today should provide a first chance for Norfolk's 16-year-old debutant, Swardeston's Callum Taylor, to show what he can do.

Norfolk v Northumberland (1st day of 3)

Manor Park

Northumberland 1st innings

DR Young lbw b Findlay 69

SG Jobson c Blake b France 123

JH Jessup c Bunting b Findlay 7

JD Craigs c & b Brown 20

AD Cragg c Eccles b Bunting 66

JJ Coyne c & b Brown 57

TJ Cant not out 7

P Morse c Findlay b Bunting 0

NC Phillips not out 1

Extras 8

Total (for 7 wkts, 90 overs) 358 Fall: 1-171 2-183 3-214 4-228 5-348 6-352 7-354

Bowling: Eccles 14-2-83-0, Bunting 9-1-40-2, France 11-2-48-1, Perry-Warnes 3-0-16-0, Brown 26-3-93-2, Findlay 27-8-76-2.

Norfolk 1st innings

JM Spelman not out 33

ND Perry-Warnes c Cragg b Stanyon 5

BJ France not out 3

Extras 3

Total (for 1 wkt, 24 overs) 44

Fall: 1-23

Bowling: Harding 9-4-28-0, Stanyon 7-3-9-1, Phillips 5-3-3-0, Morse 3-2-2-0.