Local cricket scene

HALVERGATE continued their winning form to comprehensively beat Topcroft A.

With second place team Bradenham A losing, they pull out a 10-point lead at the top of Norfolk Cricket Alliance Division Five.

Tight opening overs from Tim Crane and Danny Cook went unrewarded as the Topcroft openers crept to 23 after 11 overs until Cook eventually struck. The batsmen dug in and Kelvin London and Shaun Howley plugged away with no success in a turgid 20-over period in which a further 58 runs were scored.

The Hares remained patient and London finally broke the deadlock to have O Dearling caught at slip for 38. Luke Hannant's leg spin removed the stubborn opener J Baldwin who had batted into the 34th over for 16 runs. This brought about a collapse that saw the remaining wickets fall for just four runs. The innings closed on 93 with London taking 4-20 and Hannant 3-10.

The Halvergate reply started in positive fashion until Luke Hannant glanced a leg-side delivery to the keeper with the score on 19. A lapse of concentration from S Brister saw him bowled for seven but skipper Steven Clarke dominated the bowling to race to his fifth half-century in six games. He was dismissed for 58 with just three runs needed for victory and was followed a few balls later by S Howley who drilled a catch to mid off. Pat Hill saw the Hares home to a six-wicket win in the 16th over and finished on 21no.

There is sure to be tougher competition at Beccles A.

Eden Resourcing Man of the Match: Kelvin London with 4-20 from 11 overs.

HALVERGATE A visited Rocklands A and were narrowly defeated in a fine game.

The home side had no hesitation in batting first on a dry, flat wicket and were 121-2 after 25 overs. Graham Puttock scored freely, but with the score on 154 he was well caught by Tom Knapp off Paul Ryan's fine bowling. With the bowlers tiring, Rocklands pushed the score beyond 200 in the 43rd over and closed on 219-8. Paul Ryan finished with excellent figures of 5-30 from 11 overs.

Halvergate's Ben Key was caught for one with the score on six. However, Stuart Willimott and Will Gilder took the score to 50 before Gilder was well caught for 18. Two quick wickets saw Paul Ryan join Willimott and they put on 124 for the fifth wicket before Ryan was run out for 51. Willimott continued to dominate the bowling and with the score on 185-4 at the end of the 39th over Halvergate looked on target.

Three more wickets and some steady bowling then saw the visitors requiring 11 from the last over. The task proved just too much and the innings closed on 214-8 with Willimott not out 94.

This week's game is at home against Colney.

WINTERTON A played a superb game to beat Ashmanhaugh A by 67 runs.

This was by far the best all round performance by the boys this season. P Drake chose to bat first and the lads scored at eight runs an over. All the batsmen pitched in, but two partnerships proved pivotal.

M Hambrook (67 not out) with F Playford (23), followed by Hambrook with P Drake(9) partnerships realised 102 runs.

A confident home team lost a wicket early to an outstanding backhanded catch in the first over which set the scene for a focused and determined bowling display from Winterton. C Lockhart bowled with serious pace and increasing accuracy to claim five wickets and to give the visitors well deserved maximum points.

Although many heroes on the field, including keeper K Drewitt, Fisherman's Return MoM: Mark Hambrook for an unbeaten 67.

CAISTER travelled to Barney with only eight players on Sunday.

Caister elected to bat first. Stokes and Rob Brown looked to be quite comfortable until Brown drove hard back down the pitch, the bowler got a touch, the ball hit the stumps and Stokes, backing up, was run out.

Rob Brown was caught by the wicket keeper for 17 with the score on 22. Skipper Mark Johnson contributed 21. Michael Church got his second golden duck of the weekend and Tennant a cruel lbw decision. The Caister innings lasted only 15.5 overs leaving Myhill not out six and a grand total of 58 all out.

Barney supplied two fielders. Barney openers Jones and Moore did not stay together long, Moore dismissed for one bowled by Tennant with the total on three. As with Caister it was a procession of batsman in and out.

Barney slumped to 23-7. Only Warren put up real resistance scoring 18 before being bowled by Tennant. Myhill came on and took the last wicket of Davis for nought, wrapping up the innings on 52.

Tennant's bowling performance of 9-1-6-24 was a match winner.

Great Yarmouth A's under-strength and inexperienced side travelled to league leaders Felthorpe and suffered a 10-wicket defeat.

They elected to bat first on what looked to be an absolute belter of a track. Hodds and Hall put on 35 before Hall was bowled by Moy (3-23) for five. Cockrill scored a quick 10 before he became Moys's second victim with the score 52-2, which quickly became 54-4 as first G Doggett chipped one back to the bowler Rayner (1-30) for one and J Doggett nicked one to the keeper off Moy for nought. The inexperienced line-up did their best to support Hodds, but Payne (2) and Noakes (4) fell in quick succession to Sicklemore (2-25) Yarmouth were reeling on 64-6.

Hodds finally succumbed to the pressure as he was bowled by Hewett(4-10) for 33 and this virtually spelled the end for Yarmouth as Hewett mopped up to leave Yarmouth all out for 94 in the 29th over.

Yarmouth knew that with key bowlers missing they faced an impossible task to restrict the league's highest run scorers.

Despite their best efforts and rotating of bowlers, the openers Edwards (32no) and Lofthouse (62no) smashed their way to the target in just 11.2 overs.

Burton Arms MoM: Nick Hodds for his 33 and his choice to bat first, sparing players 45 overs of chasing to the boundary.

ROLLESBY entertained Norfolk League Division Six leaders Hardingham A.

The Rollesby opening batsmen Alan Fakes and Brian Price moved the score on to 34 before Price (14) edged Burt to the wicketkeeper. Jim Catchpole and Fakes put on another 48 runs before Fakes (31) was out lbw in the 23rd over with the score on 82.

Rollesby then lost three wickets for only four runs for Peter Clarke to join Catchpole.

In the last 16 overs they put together a splendid unbroken partnership of 107, with Catchpole (90 not out ) and Clarke (41 not out) for 204 for five.

Hardingham's were soon in difficulties against a hostile opening spell from Roy Websdale who reduced them to 45-3, which soon became 59-4 when Stuart (20) tried one big shot too many skying one to Pearce at point off John Clarke. The left arm spin of Clarke was again paying dividends as he next snared Fowle (19) into edging one to Fakes. Peter Clarke and Jimmy Catchpole also bowled very accurate spells.

Oscar Gerdes was introduced and struck immediately, catching Perfect (19) off his own bowling. Eldridge (0) quickly followed being trapped lbw by Gerdes, reducing tHardingham to 112-7.

Townshend (23) nicked one to Fakes off Gerdes, with the score on 139 then Hardingham stuck it out to reach 164-8.Roy Websdale 3-27, Oscar Gerdes 3-33 and John Clarke 2-46 were the wicket takers, with accurate contributions from Peter Clarke, Catchpole and Pearce. The result was a victory for Rollesby by 40 runs, with a much improved bowling and fielding performance.

Filby Kings Head MoM: Jimmy Catchpole 90 not out.

MARTHAM A lost their Norfolk League Division Eight match to Lowestoft C by eight wickets at Normanston Park.

The frailties of Martham's batting was severely exposed by a youthful Lowestoft C outfit.

Put into bat on a lively wicket, the visitors lost early wickets and had only 32 on the board with half of their side back in the pavilion.

A partnership of 48 between the experienced pair of Chris Shales and skipper Dave Etheridge then brought the total up to 80 before both were dismissed within a few balls of each other - the only batsmen to record double figures with 17 apiece. The innings soon folded on 89 from 32 overs.

The hosts had little difficulty in knocking off the runs, losing both openers.

BLUNDESTON travelled to one of their favourite grounds at Hethersett on Saturday, and were asked to field on another superb track.

Opening bowlers Elliot Gooch and Lewis Chapman both made early breakthroughs and after 12 overs Hethersett were 51-4 with Lewis bagging three of the top order.

Martin Talbot and Nick Mobbs then got a wicket each, but they were met with stubborn resistance from Miles Kemp and promising youngster Joel Howard.

The introduction of spin king Saurabh Verma and then young Adam Palmer failed to get the breakthrough until Adam had Howard caught behind square for a well worked 20.

With only seven wickets down and overs running out, panic induced a run out by Graeme. Lewis removed the stubborn Kemp for a defiant knock of 66 to give him a season best of 4-32.

Even younger Joseph Wilson on his debut kept out his first ball. In the last over it looked like Hethersett were going to deny Blundeston the final bowling point until Elliot removed Thomas Hutt with three balls to go for 155 all out.

Nick and Graeme had a jittery start and despite the traditional few boundaries from Nick, he was out lbw for 26.

Hutt bowled a mixture of deliveries including many wides before sending down an absolute jaffer to bowl the Blundeston skipper for a patient 14.

This left Elliot and Sam Goffin to push on and with Elliot in belligerent mood on anything short. Both of them found the boundary regularly to quickly reach the target to finish on 159-2 and give Blundeston an eight wicket win in the 23rd over.

Elliot finished on his best score for the season of 69 and Sam made 20.

Next game at home to Shipdham A.