Gray makes it back-to-back tons as Fakenham win thriller

As the saying goes, you wait ages for a bus and then two come along at once – just like Fakenham Cricket Club’s last two games in the Norfolk Alliance.

After their thrilling one-wicket win over Norwich the previous week, Fakenham repeated the feat against Garbolidsham at the weekend with Stephen Gray also making it back-to-back centuries.

On a sunny afternoon at Highfield Lawn, Garboldisham won the toss and decided to bat.

Gray took two catches off the bowling of Luke Caswell as the visitors lost two wickets for just four runs early on.

A useful partnership of 51 was ended by Inesh Chandrasiri before David Coyle got in on the act by picking up his first of two wickets ten runs later.

The score moved on to 79 when Tom Collishaw was stumped Gray off the bowling Chandrasiri for 12 runs.

Garboldisham’s Louis Hart and Justin Rowe put on a stand of 88 runs before the former was brilliantly caught by Will Dunger in the deep off the bowling Coyle for 46 runs.

Rowe departed shortly after as Caswell claimed his third victim, who caught at deep-mid-on by Lloyd Marshall.

Marshall then picked up a wicket himself but a ninth-wicket stand of 23 gave the visitors some hope before Caswell claimed a catch off the bowling of Chandrasiri.

Garboldisham’s innings eventually closed on 228 for 9 off 50 overs.

Caswell (3-37) was the pick of the Fakenham bowlers, with Chandrasiri (3 for 27), Marshall (1 for 62) also chipping in.

In reply, Fakenham’s Ben Harvey departed for just one and Dunger was caught for 19 runs after a mis-timed drive.

Caswell was bowled for two and it soon became 62 for 4 when Chandrasiri was dismissed for four.

Aaron Riseborough came in to partner Gray and the pair put on a partnership of 87 runs before Riseborough’s fine innings of 41 ended with the score on 149 after he was out caught on the boundary.

Another useful partnership of 41 runs between Gray and Andy Lawrence put the home side in a winning position before the latter was given out leg-before-wicket for 21.

Both Marshall and Ashley Jarvis fell cheaply to leave the hosts stuttering on 204 for 8 in the 43rd over.

Phoenix Sherry hit three boundaries in the same over, but was caught at deep-short-leg for 13.

At 218 for 9, Coyle came in to partner Gray with any of the three results still possible.

With five overs remaining and the last pair still at the wicket, Gray majestically clipped a shot through square-leg for four and, in doing so, completed his second successive Saturday century to finish unbeaten on 103.

Match sponsor: Peelings Coaches.

Matchball sponsor: Paul Sandell (vice-president).

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