The 2012 cricket season will be remembered for just one thing. Rain and lots of it!

With most of the UK sodden and drenched, it was something of a miracle that Costessey and Belton completed their Lucas Fettes Norfolk Cricket League Division Two match without so much as a single drop of the wet stuff.

Batting first, Belton found runs hard to come by on a damp wicket playing slow and low. With every run a precious commodity, Costessey’s bowlers were guilty of profligacy by donating 24 runs in wides and no-balls to the Belton cause. Batsmen came and went at regular intervals, with only one partnership of note: mid-innings, Chris Cropley (24) and Adam Savoury (30) compiled a 5th wicket stand of 42, gold dust considering the circumstances. Costessey’s bowlers adapted well to the conditions and contained the visitors to 137 all out off 43.3 overs. Pollard (3-28) and Horner (3-25) were the pick of the home side’s bowlers.

Naturally buoyant, Costessey set about overtaking this seemingly under par score.

G Taylor (6) and Bottoms (0) were cleaned bowled by the effervescent Nichols, whilst Gorham’s tricky mixture of seam and spin did for Horner (23), featuring a confident catch by “Buckets” Warner.

Enter the matchwinner! With the score standing at 61-3, Skipper Ali astutely ushered Harry Chachalani into the fray with immediate and devastating results. With his beguiling mixture of slow floaters and unpredictable turners, “Chachacha” made the home team batsmen dance to his tune. Opener Carlton (15) was his first victim, caught by Knight in the deep, followed swiftly by the middle-order: Mather clean-bowled (11), A Taylor (2) stumped by A Savoury and Foxcroft (0) caught by Goreham. Stunningly reduced to 68-7 in a matter of minutes, the home side never recovered. The skipper mopped up the tail and a messy final wicket run-out saw the home side totally scuppered for exactly 100, still 38 runs short of victory.

A big mention goes to young Joe Bracewell playing his first game for the senior side, a valuable product of the Belton youth policy, whilst young Myles Wright performed excellent work in the scorebook.

Tolly’s Man of the Match: Harry Chachalani (4-17).