Defeats for Downham Stow and North Runcton

Three of the Norfolk Alliance Premier Division relegation candidates won at the weekend, including Norwich who eased to victory at North Runcton.Asked to bat, Norwich’s two opening batsmen Frankie Sutton and Jake Livermore both made centuries with an opening partnership of 226.Sutton with 11 fours and a six made 103 and Livermore with 12 fours made 110.The Runcton bowlers were dispatched to all parts of the ground with nothing easy going to hand.Eventually, Sutton was caught by Lockheart off Lucas Triffitt and Livermore, caught by Ben Skipper off Jasper Payne.From 223-2 with both opening batsmen out and five overs remaining, wickets fell with Runcton’s most accurate bowler.Kirwin Christoffels was spot on, recording an all-bowled hat trick finishing with 10-4-27-4. Other bowlers were Ben Coote 0-47, Jasper Payne 1-56, Lucas Triffitt 1-58, Joe Gent 0-26 and whilst not taking a wicket Jacob Lockheart bowled a good line in seven overs of spin for 0-45. It was a day to forget after tea as two young and energetic Norwich bowlers Buzz Kemp and Max Brister ripped through the Runcton top order as they struggled to 43-6.Christoffels made 16 and Ben Skipper 10 and the other top four made eight between them.Jacob Lockheart 16 and Jonathan Forder took the score to 78-7 before Lockheart was stumped by Harry Nunn one of four victims for the visitors wicketkeeper. Triffitt 13 and Forder took the total to 97-8 as the slow death continued.Forder made 23 before being adjudged leg-before-wicket leaving it to the last pair of Joe Gent and Jack Hazel. Hazel made batting look easy and comfortably made 32 not out including 6 fours.Hazel and Gent made a last wicket stand of 43 and took the total to a more respectful 155 before Gent was bowled by Brister for 12. For the visitors Kemp 3-27 Brister 4-31. Sutton MOM 3-37. League leaders Downham Stow also suffered a disappointing loss against Acle.Having lost the toss and sent in to bat on a wicket that looked like it would play quite nicely, the batting unit felt like it was a good opportunity to set a good total.However, the side got off to a poor start losing the top 4 with only 22 on the board.It was left to the ever-reliable skipper Pat Yates (40) and young gun Arthur Wilcox to steady the ship and take the team to a competitive total. The pair put on 63 for their partnership with Yates falling for 40.Wilcox showed maturity well beyond his age striking a classy 102 with strokes all around the ground and showing great composure under pressure.He struck an important 92-run partnership with number 8 Dom Corbett (39).The side was eventually bowled out for 217. The bowling innings got off to a great start with Dan Ward striking with the second ball of the innings.Ward finished with 1-26 off his 10.Downham Stow knew that constant wickets were key to winning the game, but they didn’t come as regularly as they would have liked.The game was in the balance at 95-4 before Acle nailed their chase, eventually winning in the 46th over.