Norfolk Alliance
Division Four
Denver beat Swardeston
by 8 wickets
The sun was shining for the start of the new season as Denver got their Norfolk Alliance Division Four campaign off to a winning start at home to Swardeston CEYMS.
Denver won the toss and chose to bowl and got off to a perfect start as Chris Rolfe picked up the wicket of captain Matt Hogg in only the second over.
Connor Bateson (2-18) and Rolfe followed this with back-to-back double-wicket maidens as Swardeston collapsed to 16-5.
Ahmadullah Qaderi and Blake Bowden led the Swardeston fightback, taking the score to 60 before Qaderi was caught on 28 by a stunning one-handed catch at full-stretch from Sam Dickerson.
Rolfe followed this by clean-bowling Paul Speakman first ball as he ended his spell with figures of 5-27.
A run out and a wicket each for Dan Harper and Joseph Porter saw Swardeston bowled out for 85 – a total that looked well below par.
James Harper looked to make quick work of the chase, hitting a flurry of boundaries as he made 33 from 30 balls.
He went for one big shot too many and was caught off the bowling of Henry Overall, who would also pick up the wicket of Paul Morton a few overs later to leave Denver at 65 for 2.
Neil Gromett stood firm at the crease, making an unbeaten 31 as Tom Gilbert hit the winning runs for Denver, seeing them home comfortably to win by eight wickets.
Lawtronics Man-of-the-Match: Chris Rolfe.
