Fakenham close the gap at the top of the Norfolk Alliance
Norfolk Alliance
Third-spot Fakenham are just three points behind Norfolk Cricket Alliance leaders Brooke after demolishing Garboldisham by 10 wickets on Saturday.
Garboldisham collapsed from 48-1 to 90 all out with two players taking four wickets.
Ben Harvey took three catches and a stumping at Highfield Lawn where the match and matchball sponsor was JPR Construction Ltd.
Fifth and sixth-place Premier Division teams Downham Stow and North Runcton are level on 126 points.
Swaffham are up to fourth in Division Two. Openers Liam Exley and Ben Mills, as well as skipper Jasper Payne, departed for two runs between them. But Alexander Payne’s 87 off 67 balls with nine fours and five sixes, plus Curtis Head’s 46 not out from 45 balls with three boundaries, rescued them to beat Great Witchingham 2nds.
Division Three basement side Brooke 2nds shocked second-placers Downham Stow 2nds with their second win of the season. Fourth-spot Bircham lost at leaders Sheringham, while Hockwold are fifth.
An unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 76 between Damien Twiddy and Kieran Herbert meant Division Four leaders Snettisham won their top of the table clash with Sandringham.
Herbert thrashed an unbeaten 57 off 29 balls, hitting five sixes and five fours. Snettisham have a 37-point lead over Sandringham; with Denver third, Fakenham 2nds fifth and North Runcton 2nds seventh.
In Division Six, Downham 4ths lost to Dereham 2nds by two wickets off the final ball.
Norfolk Cricket League
Second-placed Narborough lost to runaway leaders Hingham, who are now ahead by 39 points, by 30 runs on Saturday. This match was one of many played as a reduced-overs game due to interference from the weather.
Castle Rising, who lost, are in fifth position.
Matt Herbert carried his bat for 69 as Division 2W leaders Snettisham won at Sandringham 2nds in a nail-biter.
Sandringham’s Andy Walder ran out Daniel Cook with the scores level before Snettisham scrambled home with a ball to spare from Samuel Askew’s final over. Herbert occupied 112 balls and hit 11 fours.
In Division 3W, Nick Bithray with an unbeaten 92 was the star for third-place Bircham 2nds who beat Sheringham 2nds by 139 runs, whie Daniel King bagged four wickets.
Hockwold 2nds defeated Boughton to go second, but they are 54 points behind Hardingham, who beat sixth-spot Castle Rising 2nds.
In Division 4W, Denver 2nds’ Alex Hamilton and Tom Gilbert added 116 for the second wicket while winning at Thornham 2nds. Shaun Fisher (70) and Jack Southgate (40 off 38 balls) both hit two sixes. but fifth-spot Dersingham lost at promotion chasers Rocklands 2nds.
Narborough 2nds are in the third promotion slot and their opponents and hosts Beeston 2nds conceded.
