Downham Stow enjoy one-wicket success against Cromer
Downham Stow enjoyed a super Norfolk Alliance Premier Division one-wicket success against third-spot Cromer on Saturday – a week after their second team won by the same margin.
Cromer’s top three all went for ducks at 4-3 and they set 128.
Fifth-place Downham Stow slid from 108-3 to 120-9 but skipper Pat Yates (not out 9) and Jamie Cook (no 4) saw them home.
They are just 12 points behind second-spot Brooke.
League leaders Fakenham won at Old Buckenham thanks to an unbeaten stand of 74 between Harry Bammant and Phil Gray; while Kirwin Christoffels’ fifty and five wickets ensured fourth-spot North Runcton disposed of Diss. Christoffels added an unbeaten 89 with Harry Lankfer.
Fourth in Division Two Swaffham’s Alexander Payne hit not out 73 off 74 balls with nine fours to beat Martham by five wickets.
In Division Three, Hockwold recovered from 57-4 to beat Old Buckenham 2nds by four wickets; while second-spot Bircham are just two points ahead of Downham Stow 3rds.
All three local teams won with Bircham’s Nathan King bashing four fours and three sixes in his 46 from 37 balls.
In Division Four, Keegan Monahan-Fairlie smashed 108 from 118 balls, hitting 15 fours and two sixes as third-spot Fakenham 2nds defeated second-position Sandringham. Leaders Snettisham’s openers Ryan Twiddy (60 off 54 balls; seven boundaries and three sixes) and Aaron Herbert put on 105 runs.
Norfolk Cricket League
Fourth-spot Castle Rising edged out hosts Castle Acre by one run in an NCL Division 1 thriller on Saturday.
Matt Taylor top-scored with 61 from 65 balls, including 10 fours and a six, for Rising.
Elliot Whiting hit 79 off 119 balls, with nine fours and a six, while he and Daniel Cross added 152 for the fifth wicket. But Taylor’s three scalps helped to ensure Acre finished just shy of their 189-7 target.
Narborough are third in the league after they beat Kirkley & Belton.
In Division 2W Thornham, who occupy third position, crushed Wensum by 10 wickets and are only 10 points behind leaders Reepham & Salle. Wensum lost their last five wickets for three runs to the accurate pair, five-wicket hero Benji Richardson and Duncan Rix.
In Division 3W, third-spot Bircham 2nds edged out second from bottom Boughton by four runs. Boughton made a valiant chase of 178-9 but their tailenders Matthew Mills and Lee McCarthy, who had taken five wickets, were run out respectively by Ryan English and Collin Humphrey at the end to settle the match.
Meanwhile, Hockwold 2nds stay in the promotion hunt after winning at Fakenham 3rds.
In Division 4W, Liam Woodcock collared 44 from 37 balls with eight fours for Thornham 2nds but Dersingham openers Ollie Southgate and Shaun Fisher put on 65, while Jack Southgate and Fisher (eight fours) added 62 to help wrap-up their 136 target. See pages 60 and 61 for a report.
Narborough 2nds won at nine-player Mundford 2nds by 10 wickets while Denver 2nds lost to leaders North Elmham whose opener Joshua Hall hammered an unbeaten 120.
