Old Bucks tie with fellow strugglers
There was nothing to split struggling Norfolk Cricket Alliance Premier Division duo Old Buckenham and Acle on Saturday, with both sides being bowled out for 140 runs apiece.
Visiting Acle, who sit one place outside of the relegation zone, won the toss and opted to bat first against their bottom-of-the-table hosts.
Glen Meredith got the home side off to the perfect start when he claimed the wicket of Rob Porter with Acle having put just one run on the board.
Wickets continued to fall thereafter, with only four of the Acle batsmen able to post double-figure scores.
Rob Austin was the pick of the Old Buckenham bowlers, ending with figures of 3-12 from his 10 overs.
In reply, Old Buckenham had a big opportunity to boost their survival chances with a fairly modest total to chase.
However, openers James Alexander and Benjamin Shearing both departed for five runs apiece, leaving the basement side on the back foot.
Just three Old Buckenham batsmen scored double figures, one of which was crucially Rob Thurley, whose knock of 56 helped his team up to 140 before Meredith’s wicket fell.
Both sides collected 16 points from the encounter, leaving Old Buckenham eight points from safety ahead of tomorrow’s crucial trip to second-from-bottom Cromer (12pm).
* Garboldisham (135) are seventh after their comprehensive 92-run defeat to Stow (227-8).
Tom Alexander was the most impressive of the Garboldisham bowlers, recording figures of 3-55.
However, the run chase never really got going as the visitors struggled to build any significant partnerships.
Johnny Leech, Matt Allin and Danny Cash were joint top scorers with 21 runs each.
Tomorrow Garboldisham will play host to Acle (12pm).
* In Division Six, Diss A (271-6) boosted their survival chances with a 110-run victory over Hales & Loddon (161).
Andy Gregory was reinstated at the top with Mark Brawn and made a steady start before the latter was bowled for 9.
Douglas Young (9) made a start before losing his leg stump off Mark Stewart’s first delivery.
Dan Taylor (12) found the boundary twice as he and Gregory took the score on to 61 before Taylor was well caught at slip.
Gregory had moved to 30 when he gave the gulley the opportunity to remove him from the game and with David Cokeley (0) next departing, Diss A were in trouble at 85-5. James Skilleter joined Alfie Brydon with what was going to the match winning partnership.
Hales & Loddon’s tails were up and Stewart was bowling well, which made the Diss batsmen watch every ball.
Brydon then dispatched Redford and at drinks on 22 overs Diss were 112-4. Stewart (3-22) was seen off although missed a caught and bowled chance from Brydon and Skilleter was put down in the slips.
Skilleter eventually went for 36, but Brydon stood firm, scoring an unbeaten 106 to push Diss on to 271-6 from their 45 overs.
With the ball Skilleter, William Ward and Stuart Taylor all produced the goods, taking three wickets each to help Diss to victory.
