First win for Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth were finally able to play a team in the bottom half of the table on Saturday and duly emerged with their first win of the campaign after a 38-run victory over long-time rivals Shipdham.

The weather threatened to be a factor throughout with murky grey skies and drizzle.

Shipdham won what seemed a crucial toss and asked Yarmouth to bat first on a damp but rock-hard surface, and the home side were rewarded when a Goodby inswinger bowled in-form Yarmouth captain Ruddick with only his third delivery.

Sole joined Fitzsimmons and the pair were forced into defensive mode by good lines from Goodby and Duffield, but the Yarmouth pair dug in, at one point scoring only two runs in six overs while they waited for a bowling change.

At 24-1 from 16, Goodby was replaced by Head and the fireworks began. Sole in particular took to the new bowler's line and length and hit 11 from Head's first over, and another four from the first ball of his next.

But the bowler's adjustment saw him strike Sole amidships, breaking his protective equipment much to the mirth of all those watching.

That lack of sympathy was repaid a few overs later as Fitzsimmons collected an identical blow from Duffield, who bowled his 12 overs straight through, conceding just 19 runs and he was unlucky to finish wicketless.

The runs were flowing from the other end, with 45 taken from Head's five overs and Yarmouth had recovered to 77-1 from 25, and when nine runs came from Ellis's first over, Yarmouth appeared on top.

Oliver took over from Head and finally broke the partnership at 99, Fitzsimmons (28) holing out to Stagles at long-off. Hak strode to the middle and helped raise the run rate with a five-over cameo before his dismissal (17) by the Oliver/Stagles combination.

The race to 200 was on but Ellis struck to remove Derry, bringing Kapila to the middle who joined Sole to add 32 in good time, and the return of Goodby (1-36) failed to stem the flow as Kapila launched him over the longest boundary for six.

Ellis broke the partnership, bowling Kapila (24), and with 21 deliveries remaining, Yarmouth were 177-5.

Only six runs were added from the next nine balls and when Sole (90) was bowled making room from the first ball of the penultimate over, Yarmouth looked to be finishing short of their target.

But aggressive running from Richie Ruddick and Hunter, including an all-run four, put them within a boundary of the elusive 200 mark.

Only a single resulted from the final ball however, and Yarmouth closed three runs short of maximum batting points, but content with what appeared a decent total.

The tea interval saw overcast conditions, so loved by bowlers, give way to elusive blue skies and if the weather omens were not bad enough, Yarmouth were almost instantly down to 10 men, as Oxborough collected a ball in the mouth at point and bleeding forced him from the field.

Like the previous week's defeat to Caister, Yarmouth knew the opening pair were the two key wickets, and Vickers and Hunter rose to the task.

Vickers was almost unplayable conceding just one scoring shot from his first five overs, with Hunter asking questions from the other end, leaving Stagles and Duffield having to pick off the occasional bad ball as they progressed to 23 from the first 10 overs.

Vickers (1-29) forced the initial breakthrough with Duffield (10) feathering a catch behind and next over Hunter joined in, bowling Stagles (9).

Hunt (14) tried to hit his team out of trouble but when Hunter had him caught in the covers the home side were 51-3.

Read and Ellis looked to continue in the same positive vein but the introduction of Oxborough into the attack saw scoring chances reduced and the pressure told as Read (23) fell to an athletic catch from Hunter.

Richie Ruddick replaced Vickers and immediately removed Ellis (16) caught behind by Derry.

Oliver and the injured Cox looked to stabilise things but when Cox was forced to withdraw, Oliver - who had shown only obdurate defence - suddenly turned aggressor, racking up six fours in rapid time and Yarmouth were forced into a deeper field.

The counter attack was nipped in the bud as Oxborough took three wickets in successive overs, cleaning up Palmer (0) , Oliver (28) and the returning Cox (4).

Pyman (22) produced some big hitting but was cleaned up by Anguish (1-19), leaving last wicket pair of Goodby and Head an impossible mountain to climb.

Fittingly it was Oxborough to finish things off, taking a sharp caught and bowled to finish with 5-36 and Shipdham were all out for 159.

Burton Arms man of the match: Tim Oxborough, playing through the pain to claim a five-wicket haul.

Champagne moment: Simon Ruddick and Paul Vickers chasing a ball to the boundary and, having narrowly lost the race each returned to their fielding position assuming the other had retrieved the ball. Cue red faces and a trip back to the boundary.