Premier Division

Downham Town (4pts) lost Lowestoft Town (23pts) by 6 wkts

Downham Town 171 all out in 49 overs (A. Phangiso 58, A. Todd 36, P. Barnard 18).

Lowestoft Town 172 for 4 wkts in 45.3 overs (Angus Stuart 5-0-26-0, A. Todd 7-2-29-0, P. Barnard 7-1-27-0, A. Phangiso 13-2-42-1, A. Stuart 11.3.35-3, J. Stuart 2-0-12-0).

TOWN lost top spot on Saturday with a below-par display against a useful Lowestoft side who now push themselves into title contention.

Downham chose to bat on a damp wicket and found the bowling of seamers Brice and Reid difficult to get away.

Alex Stuart was caught at point but Peter Barnard and Aaron Phangiso took the score to 44 before Barnard was stumped off the bowling of Bishop.

Lowestoft’s spinners were now operating from both ends and only Phangiso looked comfortable against the turning ball.

Dom Tulett departed, caught at slip off Bishop, and a brief flurry from Lanchester was halted in the same way.

Town now needed a partnership and Addam Todd and Phangiso provided it as the score moved along nicely to 135 off 36 overs, a perfect platform for Town’s prolific lower order to build on.

Phangiso went for a well-constructed 56 and from then on Downham failed to score at any rate and lost wickets to the leg spin of Horton at frequent intervals.

The innings closed on a disappointing 171, leaving Town’s bowlers with a bit to do.

Lowestoft rely heavily on Mostert and Sims at the top of the order and the two once again came up with the goods as they batted sensibily and also dispatched the too-frequent bad ball.

Mostert was severe on the short ball but it was Sims who reached his 50 first as Downham rotated bowlers in a bid to make the breakthrough.

Alex Stuart took the wicket of Sims with a smart caught- and-bowled as the score reached 100 and he gave Downham brief hope as Garrod was caught by Ash Corbett of his bowling.

Mostert was caught by Tulett at slip to give Stuart his third wicket and when Phangiso had Bishop caught at mid-off by Lanchester Lowestoft still needed 20 for victory.

Youngster Smith saw his side home with some hard hit boundaries and Town will rue the fact that 200 was always achievable after the initial hard work put in by the top order batsman.

Downham TandorriI MoM: Aaron Phangiso.



North Runcton (7 points)

had a losing draw

with Cromer (16 points)

Cromer 211 for 9 (K. Bunting 6-0-25-0, P. Jefferson 3-0-30-0, J. Kgamadi 13-1-53-1, S. Hemeter 12-0-46-2, D. Cubitt 9-1-39-4, J. Pipkin 7-1-16-0).

North Runcton 163 for 7 (S. Hemeter 5, M. Crisp 2, J. Kgamadi 33, J. Brown 15, J. Pipkin 18, J. Hastings 13, J. Forder 26, D. Cubitt 7, P. Jefferson 27).

North Runcton won the toss, and elected to bowl on a damp wicket.

Cromer got off to a good start on a small ground.