Focus on local cricket

GREAT Yarmouth made the short trip to Caister and emerged victorious from another last-over thriller to complete the Norfolk League Division One double over their neighbours.

James Doggett and Jack Noakes earned well-deserved first team debuts and Yarmouth also welcomed back the talismanic Steven Hak, making his first appearance of the season.

Yarmouth elected to bat first on a dry, dusty wicket and were soon tied down by excellent opening bursts from Bartram and Tennant. Nicholls got the scoreboard moving with some well timed pulls but was in danger of being a one-man show as wickets tumbled regularly at the other end.

At 59-4 from 25 overs Yarmouth were again looking shaky, but then came the partnership that set up the win.

Hak showed a little rust, edging past the keeper to get off the mark. However, he was soon into his stride as he dispatched the ball to all parts of the ground. Sixty runs were added in quick time for the fifth wicket and Nicholls (55) completed his half-century before falling to a stunning one-handed catch by Hewitt.

Hak brought up his own half-century shortly after before eventually falling for an excellent 62 including 10 fours and two sixes. Vickers (5) and Anguish (8) helped Yarmouth near to another batting point but two run-outs prevented them from scrambling the one extra run needed. Yarmouth closed on a competitive 159 all out.

New ball pairing Vickers and Ruddick both served up juicy full tosses with their first deliveries which were duly dispatched, however the Yarmouth bowlers were soon back on the spot and bowling with pace and aggression.

The Caister batsmen were only dealing in boundaries as the top four combined only ran for two singles and a two. Vickers bowled R Brown (20) and Ruddick removed his opening partner Stokes (14) three overs later.

P Brown and French maintained the scoring rate but when both were bowled by Vickers (3-27) in successive overs Caister were 63-4.

Myhill gave dogged support to Johnson seeing off the opening pair as Yarmouth gambled on bowling their two openers out. Yarmouth then turned to youth as Cockrill and debutant Noakes took over with immediate effect as Myhill (0) gave Noakes his first wicket driving a catch to Vickers at mid-on.

Johnson and Hewitt then looked to turn the tide as they put on 46 for the sixth wicket. Youth was replaced by experience as veteran Anguish entered the attack and quickly accounted for Johnson (44). Thompson took over from the other end, removing Snowling who was well caught at mid wicket by Doggett.

Hewitt (27) kept things moving until he became Anguish's second victim and Caister were 148-8 with three overs left.

Anguish (3-26) struck again in his next over with Vickers claiming his third catch of the game.

It all came down to the final over, Caister needing seven runs and Yarmouth needing one wicket. Tennant took a single from the first ball before Church skied the second with Sole taking a tumbling catch to complete the win.

Burton Arms man-of-the-match: Four strong candidates but it was awarded to Paul Vickers for three wickets and three catches.

HEMSBY'S attempt to keep in the Norfolk League Division Six title race began with Hudson winning the toss and batting against Happisburgh A.

Tillbrook and Colclough got the side off to a good start with a 126 opening partnership. Tillbrook was eventually out for a well-played 71 and Maxwell fell for 51.

Whatmough came in for a brief knock during which he hit two sixes before running himself out for 25. Hemsby had slipped to 177-4 off 26 overs.

Rob Shepherd (54) and Liam Boylan (88no) then took the game totally away from Happisburgh. Both hit their highest league scores for Hemsby. Shepherd hit four fours and two sixes and Boylan five sixes including four off the 45th over and nine fours. By the time the innings had ended Hemsby had secured the five vital bowling points and had obtained the highest score in the Norfolk League in 2009, 331-6.

Whatmough was untied from his leash of previous weeks and given the new ball with Boylan. Boylan quickly began by having Andrews lbw.

Whatmough began with three successive maidens. When Boylan took two wickets in his third over the Happisburgh reply stood at 3-3 off six overs.

Whatmough then removed Corcaran and Woolston. Then Rob Shepherd got his first two wickets off the season. Boylan completed another five-wicket haul to take his league total to 48 for the season.

When Hudson bowled Breeze the home side had been dismissed for 50 and defeat by 280 runs. This equalled the fifth highest defeat in Norfolk League history.

Hemsby's 14th win a row had taken them to within two hundredths of a point behind Sprowston C.

Man-of-the-match: Liam Boylan.

HEMSBY'S vital promotion clash with Loddon A began with the visiting captain Edmonds winning the toss and asking Hemsby to bat first.

Tilbrook and Colclough began well and then Whatmough and Boylan kept up the scoring rate. Wickets started to fall and it was left to Cossey and Billington to take the total over 200.

Hemsby entered the field. Hudson soon removed Reeve quickly and Whatmough ran out Perry.

Wickets continued to fall to Boylan, Tillbrook and Dack as Loddon crept quietly to 70 all out in the 34th over.

Hardingham's defeat by Brisley meant Hemsby had been promoted for the second year running. The 13th victory of the season also meant the team of 2009 had won more league games than any other Hemsby side in history.

Man-of-the-match: Jack What-mough.

MARTHAM A beat visitors Hales Colts by 142 runs - by far their highest winning margin of the season.

The home side elected to bat first on an excellent batting surface and after some early scares openers Andrew Whittington and Aaron Kemp put on 92 runs before the latter was bowled for 41, his highest-ever score.

No 3 Ben Zagorski continued the good work and put on a further 68 runs with Whittington who was eventually out lbw for 71. With the total 160 for the loss of only three wickets, Courtney Randell, who also made his best ever score (35 not out) joined in the fun, having fruitful partnerships with Zagorski (34) and Chris Shales (16 not out).

The home side finished with their highest score this season of 254 for the loss of five wickets.

The visitors never seriously threatened to get anywhere near Martham's big total with only opener Lee Taylor looking like scoring any runs - he made exactly half of the visitor's total of 112 which lasted for only 20 overs.

Eddie O'Neill was the chief wicket-taker with three for 12 from his five overs. The other dismissals were shared between Shales, Randell, Kemp and Ethan Scally.

BELTON entertained Halvergate on Sunday in the Mid-Norfolk Sunday League keen to avenge an earlier defeat and escape from the bottom of the table.

Belton were in no doubt about the correct course and after winning the toss duly chose to bat on an excellent Southtown Common surface.

Openers Russell Bird and Richard Ashling could make no progress and after three overs both were back in the changing room with only nine on the board.

Phil White and Gareth Ware attempted a rebuilding job but Ware only lasted one ball and Belton were three for 21.

A Vishal soon departed, bowled by S Howley for four, Belton 23 for four. Finally White and Ali built a partnership of 81 to take the score past the hundred mark. Ali's contribution amounted to 41 before he was adjudged lbw to the bowling of Howley.

Phil White went on and on to reach 45 - first in partnership with Adam Savoury (30) and finally with Mark Hodds (11 not out) to get close to the 200 mark.

The home side finished on 182 for eight from 40 overs. S Howley's four for 40 was the pick of the Halvergate bowling.

Early wickets were required and Gavin Moar and Saj Ali duly obliged as the visitors struggled to 36 for five from 12 overs.

Adam Savoury strangled the lower middle order and induced mistakes from Harley and Campbell. It all looked too easy and it did not last.

W Gilder and T Crane began to sense a frailty in the bowling and a fine partnership ensued as they dragged the visitors back into the game. Gilder had reached 49 when the returning Ali uprooted his off stump and Crane eventually perished as the required run rate soared - again bowled by Ali for an excellent 55.

Ali claimed his sixth wicket of the day when W Howley was bowled and Belton ran out winners by 19 runs.

South Walsham met Crusaders. Garth Futter took an excellent slip catch off the fifth ball of the last over as Walsham won a high-scoring game by 31 runs.

Batting first skipper Woods decided to give youngster Jack Belton a chance of opening, and he took his chance, playing several good shots against variable Crusaders bowling.

With the experienced Andy Scales at the other end, Walsham motored along at five runs an over.

The opening stand was finally broken on 127 when Jack Belton was caught for 41. Scales fell shortly afterwards for a well made 72. Walsham then became a bit becalmed until Neil Johnson got going, hitting some big shots in 72 before being well caught on the boundary.

Walsham declared on 238 for four, 10 minutes before the normal tea interval.

After tea, Walsham quickly picked up an early wicket as the openers got mixed up and opener Beardsworth was run out for nought.

Another wicket soon followed and Walsham appeared to be in control. Some hard hitting by C Barker (53), B Barker (72) and J Durrant (35) put Crusaders back in the hunt and it was looking like a close finish as the Walsham bowlers struggled to contain the Crusaders batting as they reached 172 for five.

Garth Futter picked up two wickets in the middle order and then pulled a muscle and spent the rest of the game at first slip. Chris Woods, although suffering a bit from the Crusaders batsmen, kept chipping away and began to pick up wickets.

Crusaders kept going for the win until the last over but as they tried to defend Futter came up trumps with that excellent catch, one of three he took in the innings. Woods took five for 62 off nearly 11 overs as Crusaders were all out for 207.

Upton White Horse man-of-the-match: Chris Woods, the first five-wicket haul of the season by a South Walsham bowler.