Senior Cricket East Anglian Premier League Godmanchester lost to Norwich by 60 runs. GODMANCHESTER suffered their second successive league defeat on Saturday as their top order batsmen failed to put on the runs. Norwich won the toss and elected to bat fi

Senior Cricket

East Anglian Premier League

Godmanchester lost to Norwich by 60 runs.

GODMANCHESTER suffered their second successive league defeat on Saturday as their top order batsmen failed to put on the runs.

Norwich won the toss and elected to bat first, but at 30 for two the vistors looked to be on the back foot.

Despite the two wickets taken by Elliott Baldwin, Norwich held their nerve to put on a third wicket stand of 88.

At 151-3 Norwich looked comfortable, but the return of Paul Wilkinson to the bowling attack saw Norwich lose four wickets for just 10 runs.

Wilkinson claimed three of the wickets in a three over spell that cost just two runs. Paul Swannell claimed the other wicket.

A 54 from Gordon Kerr then rescued the situation for Norwich as they were all out for 249.

Paul Swannell registered figures of 4-77 from 18 overs, whilst Wilkinson took four for 36 from 10.4 overs, his best figures since June 2004.

The target looked reachable for Godmanchester, but after seven overs their challenge was in pieces as they sluimped to 37-5.

Nathan Pearcewas the only batsmen of those five to make it to double figures with a score of 16.

Swannell and Matt Durrant put on 13 and 11 respectively before falling to Kerr's bowling, while Craig Park boosted the total with his maiden half-century for the club.

It was then left to Baldwin and Wiliknson who, despite putting on the best stand of the match, could not save the day for Godmanchester.

M Franklin's four for 50 from 12 overs were the best bowling figures for Norwich as they finished Godmanchester off for 189 to comfortably win the match.

Hunts County Cricket League

Division One

Alconbury beat Yaxley by six wickets

ALCONBURY put in a strong batting performance to comfortably defeat Yaxley.

Opener P Suckling got the innings off to a good start with 48 before being caught out.

Suckling's partner R Ewing then contributed a valuable 85 to put Alconbury firmly in control.

C Hose put on 43 after that as Alconbury made their way confidently to 228 for four.

Yaxley battled to respond to the total set, but some strong bowling put them on the back foot.

With wickets falling at regular intervals, it was not long before Yaxley were all out for 168.

Ewing's three for thirty from 10 overs helped Alconbury to victory, as did G Cole's four for 58 from 11.2 overs.

Division Two

Buckden beat Orton Park by four wickets

WITH both teams at the lower end of the table, Buckden's league fortunes improved on Saturday as they recovered from a shaky start at the crease to overcome Orton Park.

Orton batted first, making heavy weather of the job at hand and posting a modest total of 140.

With a reachable total to chase, Buckden started their innings badly.

At 30-4, Buckden looking in danger of collapsing completely before the middle-order partnership of Steve Cox and Andrew Bonafort saved the match.

Cox made 57 and Bonafort 38 as Buckden went on to make the total with four wickets to spare.

Division Five

Hilton beat Upwood III won by 95 runs

BATTING first, Hilton got off to a flying start as skipper Mark Darlow raced to 58.

Tony Jacobs' 40 further boosted Hilton's total, whilst A Leader and I Jacobs made 21 and 29 respectively.

Once Upwood captain Trevor Mumby joined the bowling attack, however, wickets began to fall.

Mumby finished with figures of five for 47 from 12 overs as Hilton reached 218-8.

Upwood started well, the first wicket falling for 48, as D Drage made 41 and L Frost 19.

J Paxton's 37 kept the runs ticking over but two ducks in succession left Upwood at 78-5.

With the highest score after that being L Markland's eight, Upwood collapsed to be all out for 123, 95 runs short.

East of England U25 Competition

Lincolnshire U25 beat Huntingdonshire U25 by 77 runs

LINCS exacted revenge for their defeat in the competition by Hunts last season with a batting performance that set the home side too large a target to chase.

Batting first, Lincs steadily piled on the runs whilst the Hunts bolwers struggled to make an impact.

An outstanding throw from David Clarke saw the dangerous Liam Andrews dismissed for just six but Peter Morgan and opener Rob Cook steadied the innings with a stand of 40.

After Morgan's dismissal, Paul Cook contributed 64 before Hymie Bentley took Lincs to 168 for 4-12 overs remaining.

Rob Cook ended the innings unbeaten with 153 runs from just 162 balls as Hunts leaked 95 runs from the last six overs.

On a bad day for the Hunts bowlers, Paul Swannell's 3-72 from 10 overs with one maiden were the best figures.

With a huge total of 292 to chase, Hunts started their batting cautiously against a pacey, accurate attack.

It took Hunts almost 18 overs to reach the 50 mark, by which time they had lost Alan Burton for 11 and Adam Cousins for a duck.

Josh Brodie and David Clarke put on 25 each, however, while Swannell and Martin Hair added 60 for the fifth wicket.

Any hopes Hunts might have had of chasing Lincs down were dashed soon after as three wickets fell for one run in just seven balls.

Despite the setback, Jay Szwajbak hit 20 and Basherat Hussain 52 for the eighth wicket before Hussain reached his fifty on the last ball of the innings to finish unbeaten.

Fenland Invitational Trophy

Somersham beat March II by 145 runs

BATTING first, Somersham made a poor start when opener R Fenton was bowled by J Stimpson for a duck.

Opening partner L Boon went on to make 77 but the wicket of S Boon went for two.

With S Cornwall's 65 and N Fenton's 35 not out, Somersham went on to set a strong total of 249 with four wickets in hand.

Stimpson's figures of two for 39 from eight overs were the best for March.

March's innings did not start much better than Somersham's had, with D Hinson going for one.

N Alterton's 34 boosted the scoreline but two ducks followed by a single and a two left March reeling.

Stimpson's 19 was the next highest score as March were all out for just 104.

S Boon's impressive figures of three for 16 from seven overs with three maidens were the best of the game.

CCA Division 2 North B

Needingworth beat Cottenham II by five wickets

AN under-strength Needingworth side overcame Cottenham on an unpredictable wicket.

Cottenham got off to the worst possible start as they lost two wickets before scoring a single run.

An unbeaten stand between R Brown (29) and T Kalikajan (62) of 106 then recovered the situation and Cottenham were able to post a challenging 156.

Simon McCarthy was the pick of the Needingworth bowlers with 2 for 19 from 10 overs.

Mark Sirot-Smith got Needingworth off to a good start, steadily building runs on his way to making 59.

Useful contrinbutions followed and, despite losing wickets, skipper Grant Biddle's unbeaten 23 was enough to seal the win for Needingworth.

Youth Cricket U13 County Cup

HUNTS suffered the agony of losing on the final ball of the last over in thrilling match played away at East Haddon CC.

Northants won the toss and elected to field, but Hunts made good early progress.

Skipper Jonny Carpenter and partner Alex Martin made 29 before the first wicket fell, followed by a determined 25 from Callum French.

Tom Rendall then hit 42 as Hunts went to 115 for four with ten overs remaining.

Rather than building on the lead, however, wickets began to fall regularly as Hunts posted a modest 141 all out.

The Hunts bowlers came out determined to capture wickets but Northants put on 65 for the first wicket.

At 95 for one Northants looked on their way to victory, but some tight bowling and fielding saw the runs dry up and the pressure build.

Needing four an over from the last five overs, Northants struggled and began to lose wickets.

With three required from the last over, spinner Taylor West took a vital wicket only for Northants to score the winning run from the final ball.