Great Yarmouth suffered their second narrow defeat in as many weeks, falling just two runs short of a much needed victory at Shipdham.They gave a much-improved performance with the bat and Yarmouth should take heart from knowing that half a dozen more runs spread over two games would have seen two wins which would have lifted them out of the Norfolk League Division One relegation zone.

Great Yarmouth suffered their second narrow defeat in as many weeks, falling just two runs short of a much needed victory at Shipdham.

They gave a much-improved performance with the bat and Yarmouth should take heart from knowing that half a dozen more runs spread over two games would have seen two wins which would have lifted them out of the Norfolk League Division One relegation zone.

There are six teams with three wins or less and Yarmouth, although bottom, are still very much alive.

Yarmouth won the toss and elected to field first under gloomy skies. Shipdham made a steady start against the new ball pairing of White and Vickers. The Shipdham openers passed the 50 mark in the 14th over. Then White found the edge of Hammond's bat to force the initial breakthrough.

White (1-28) conceded only one further run from his remaining overs and was replaced by Thompson who straight away produced a wonder ball to remove Cator (2).

Shipdham, however, were cashing in on the change bowling. Vickers returned to the attack and claimed three quick wickets including the key wicket of Shipdham captain Staggles who had led from the front with an excellent 91. Some excellent running saw the momentum maintained and Shipdham closed on a formidable 228-9.

Yarmouth needed to score their highest total of the season for victory and Nicholls got them off to a flier, dispatching the first ball to the boundary. Two further boundaries followed but in the fourth over an ambitious drive saw him bowled for 13.

Sole and Ruddick maintained the run rate. Ruddick (19) appeared fully into his stride when a drive was well picked off in the covers to reduce Yarmouth to 53-2. Derry, making his first appearance of the season, was quickly off the mark with a boundary. With Sole also finding some touch Yarmouth more than maintained the required run rate.

Shipdham turned to veteran paceman Goodby, but with the batsmen set his extra pace and bounce could not stop the flow of runs. Instead it was the lack of pace from Read that forced the breakthrough as Derry (35), who had been scoring freely off the spinner, top edged a straightforward catch to cover.

Yarmouth captain Fitzsimmons knew he had to play as important a knock as his opposite number and he didn't disappoint. With the field set very deep Yarmouth were restricted to singles for the most part but with the help of the occasional boundary crept closer to their target.

Sole (79) fell to a tired drive and another quick wicket followed without slowing the pace of the innings.

Fitzsimmons and Craig Thompson moved Yarmouth tantalisingly close with Thompson raising hopes with a mammoth six before being bowled the next ball. Vickers joined Fitzsimmons in the mounting gloom and steady drizzle but with nine needed from the final over and the entire team on the boundary Yarmouth came up two runs short.