CRICKET: Acle went into their Norfolk Alliance Premier Division clash with fellow strugglers Cromer knowing a victory was vital. And they secured it in a match which produced just 139 runs, with 19 wickets falling.

CRICKET: Acle went into their Norfolk Alliance Premier Division clash with fellow strugglers Cromer knowing a victory was vital. And they secured it in a match which produced just 139 runs, with 19 wickets falling.

Acle skipper Shaun Roberts started on the front foot by winning the toss and asking Cromer to bat first.

Jon Lee and Hugo Nel kept it tight on a pitch that was difficult to score on. Geoffrey Handley that made the initial breakthrough, Turner caught by Nobbs for nine.

With the score on 34-1, Cromer had to get runs on the board, but the introduction of Paul Newman and Roberts made this even more difficult. Newman had the Cromer batsmen in all sorts of trouble, and with Roberts operating from the pavilion end the pair made inroads into the Cromer top order.

Newman finished with of 5-15 from 11.5 overs, and Roberts 4-13 from six. Cromer finished on 69 all out from 37.5 overs, leaving Acle what looked a comfortable chase from 62 overs.

But the Acle top order was blown away by Warnes and Carey.

Paul Munford and Danny Carter steadied the ship and took the score up to 55 when Carter was dismissed by Carey. Munford then hit three fours and it seemed like game over, but with the score on 69 Acle lost three more wickets, including that of Munford (21), and still required one run to win from the last pair.

Experienced Cromer seamer Chris Carey then proceeded to bowl a wide. Acle had achieved their target with one wicket and 36 overs to spare.

This was a great bowling and fielding performance by Acle, but the batting needs to improve in time for tomorrow's crunch game at Brooke.

Match sponsors Acle Social Club MoM: Paul Newman for his spell of high quality seam bowling.

Cromer: D Turner c Nobbs b Handley 9, K Tuck c Nel b Roberts 27, N Liyanage b Newman 5, G Neale b Newman 16, T Davies c Newman b Roberts 4, M Warnes c Newman b Roberts 0, C Carey c Porter b Roberts 0, D Elliott lbw Newman 0, L Barrett c Nel b Newman 0, J Craske not out 0, J Battrick b Newman 0; extras 8. Total 69. Bowling: H Nel 9-4-9-0, J Lee 7-1-15-0, P Newman 11.5-4-15-5, G Handley 4-0-16-1, S Roberts 6-0-13-4.

Acle: R Porter c-b Carey 4, G Handley b Warnes 8, H Nel c Barrett b Warnes 11, P Nobbs lbw Warnes 0, D Huggins c Carey b Warnes 0, P Munford lbw Carey 21, D Carter c Barrett b Carey 13, P Newman c Davies b Warnes 4, S Roberts c Davies b Warnes 0, J Oakey not out 0, J Lee not out 0; extras 9. Total (9 wkts) 70. Bowling: M Warnes 12-3-32-6, C Carey 12.5-3-33-3, N Liyanage 1-0-4-0.

WINTERTON A at The Hambrook Oval entertained Norwich and Coltishall Wanderers B.

Defeat was a poor result for the club and they will need to step up against relegation rivals Ashmanhaugh A in a must-win game.

Winterton A stand-in skipper K Drewitt was put in to bat on a wet pitch. Winterton lost B Pilkington (2) early on, followed by K Drewitt (10), opener T Wichelow (14), K Lawes (3), A Thackaray (17) and S Tooley (26).

M Hambrook (28) tried to push the scoring along as T Beeden claimed a five-wicket haul. Ja Stanhope-Smith was out for nought but M Stanhope-Smith (10 not out) hit some impressive boundaries to push the score to 126.

At the other end the two tail ender M Holsworth (0) and J Gyde (1) couldn't hang about with young M Stanhope-Smith. The total of was 126 was not good enough.

Norwich and Coltishall got off to a great, start hitting some huge shots off M Holsworth (4-0-30-0), who has been bowling well all summer.

M Hambrook (6-1-15-0) bowled tight at the other end. But D Littlehales continued to score quickly with some huge sixes.

A Thackaray (11.4-3-38-3) was playing his first game in over a year but soon found his line and length. T Wichelow (7-0-8-0) bowled a great spell and was unlucky not to get a wicket.

Thackaray removed M Trueman with a good catch at point by B Pilkington and bowled T Beeden to gain the team the bonus points.

Man of the match: Everyone who played in the last two weeks, for helping out stand-in skipper Drewitt.

Winterton A: Pilkingtion c-b J Carlin 2, T Wichelow run out 14, K Drewitt c-b J Carlin 10, S Tooley c-b T Beeden 26, K Lawes lbw T Beeden 3, A Thackaray b T Beeden 17, M Hambrook b T Beeden 28, Ja Stanhope-smith c-b M Pepper 0, M Stanhope-Smith not out 10, M Holsworth b T Beeden 0, J Gyde c-b M Pepper 0. Bowling: M Burrows 9-4-18-0, J Carlin 6-1-23-2, T Beeden 12-1-24-5, J Bunting 6-0-32-0, M Pepper 4-0-20-2.

Norwich and Coltishall Wanderers B: D Littlehales run out 70, K Brown c K Drewitt b A Thackaray 19, M Trueman c B Pilkington b A Thackaray 22, T Beeden b A Thackaray 4, A Penton not out 5, J Bunting not out 1. Bowling: M Hambrook 6-1-15-0, M Holsworth 4-0-30-0, J Gyde 5-0-26-0, A Thackaray 11.4-3-38-3, T Wichelow 7-0-8-0.