Following Sunday's almost complete wash-out day two of Norfolk's Minor Counties Eastern Division Championship match against Staffordshire at Walsall began on time albeit under grey skies.

Following Sunday's almost complete wash-out day two of Norfolk's Minor Counties Eastern Division Championship match against Staffordshire at Walsall began on time albeit under grey skies.

Staffordshire resumed their first innings at their overnight score of 2-0 against the Norfolk opening attack of Michael Eccles and Ian Slegg but there was early success for the visitors with both openers back in the pavilion inside the first half hour of the day.

First Eccles removed Danny Brierley bowled for two with the score on four and then Slegg had Peter Wilshaw caught behind by keeper Luke Newton for eight to leave the home side in early trouble at 15-2.

A stubborn third wicket partnership for Staffs had gone a long way towards leaving the match evenly balanced at the luncheon interval.

The home side dug in and an unbeaten third wicket partnership of 55 between Brian Simms and Sam Seadon saw Staffs take lunch at 70-2 with both batsmen 27 not out.

Norfolk's bowlers struggled to make any impact in the afternoon as the third wicket pair of Brian Simms and Sam Seadon took their partnership past the century mark moving Staffordshire on to 153-2.

Resuming at 70-2 after the lunch interval the home batsmen looked in little trouble against the Norfolk attack and by mid afternoon the visitors had employed six bowlers without success in an attempt to break the partnership. Both batsmen reached individual half centuries; Seadon completing his first from 139 balls and hitting six boundaries with partner Simms swiftly following suit from 132 balls with four boundaries.

With the batsmen on top it appeared that Norfolk were beginning to run short of ideas and inspiration and when a chance came along Chris Brown put down a comparatively straightforward catch at long leg offered by Simms off the bowling of Michael Eccles.