Dereham Cricket Club chairman Neil Irons has urged local football leagues to help cricket teams which are struggling to field teams at the beginning and end of the season, writes Ian Clarke.

Dereham Cricket Club chairman Neil Irons has urged local football leagues to help cricket teams which are struggling to field teams at the beginning and end of the season, writes Ian Clarke.

Dereham were missing several key players on Saturday due to the football season over-running, and injuries - and even had to cancel the third XI game.

A number of youngsters had to move up to the firsts, while the second team had seven under-18s.

Subsequently, despite putting up a fight, the first team lost to Hillington by 203 runs in Alliance Division two.

Irons said: 'We accept defeat but someone really needs to tell the local football leagues that all cricket clubs struggle in the early stages of the season, and at the end of season when catch up/pre-season games can be arranged at different times to suit all.

'We get one hit at playing our games at the weekend. With the harsh winter, football took the full brunt. But cricket does not get the option of replaying games due to bad weather as football does, and it doesn't help that we have injuries as well.

'I think I speak on behalf of many of Norfolk's cricket clubs and think the football and cricket leagues need to work together to suit everyone.'

Dereham firsts - without captain Joe Marczewski due to a serious knee injury - won the toss and elected to bowl against Hillington.

They snatched an early wicket when Kristien Fletcher bowled the left-handed opener.

Hillington then found runs easy to come by as the wicket became a batsman's paradise in the warm conditions.

Bradley Raper (1 for 41), making his first team debut, grabbed his first wicket when wicketkeeper Neil Burrage produced an outstanding stumping, giving some hope.

But Hillington amased a huge total of 272 for 4 off the allotted 46 overs.

After the break the weather started to cloud over and temperatures dropped and Dereham faced an uphill task in the chase.

Losing steady wickets, it was only Jon Crisp and Max Cheetham who managed double figures as Dereham collapsed to 69 all out from 30 overs.