BRADENHAM travelled to Alliance Division One leaders Old Buckenham on Saturday and lost by 81 runs.Bradenham now have to pick themselves up with three vital games left this season as they sit around 14 points above the drop zone.

BRADENHAM travelled to Alliance Division One leaders Old Buckenham on Saturday and lost by 81 runs.

Bradenham now have to pick themselves up with three vital games left this season as they sit around 14 points above the drop zone.

Brett Gates made his first appearance of the season in the first team after a long-standing injury.

Bradenham put the home side into bat and Gates had an immediate impact by clean bowling Mann in the fifth over for two. Both Gates and new-ball partner Alex Bates were bowling good tight lines and Old Buckenham were crawling at just two runs per over. Brett Stolworthy replaced Bates and kept up the good work by removing home skipper Perry for 12 with a well-disguised slower ball.

At the halfway point Old Buckenham were 46-1 with Gates finishing an impressive spell of 12 overs with one wicket for just 12 runs. Opening bat Fudge had battled through the first 23 overs and started to play a few shots.

Australian Jack Jarvis also opened up and the pair put on a vital 79-run partnership in 15 overs before Jarvis was stumped by Matthews off Iain Brown's bowling for 52.

Old Buckenham threw the bat for the last eight overs and inevitably boundaries and wickets came. Bradenham picked up eight wickets with Brown the main beneficiary with 4-34, however 60 runs were conceded as the home side finished with 198 from their 46 overs.

Bradenham's reply started well enough with Rob Thurley and Lewis Denmark putting on 22 in the first four overs before Denmark was caught driving for eight. Blake Whyte and Thurley then put on a further 34 to take Bradenham past 50, but when Thurley was caught behind for 27 the wheels came off the Bradenham innings for a crucial half an hour.

In that time the middle order was blown away by medium pacer King (5-29) and Bradenham were left with a draw as their only objective. Gates (23 not out) and Whyte (24) proved the only real resistance as Old Buckenham completed their win with seven overs remaining.

BRADENHAM A welcomed a much- changed N&C Wanderers A from the team they played in May.

Bradenham were the victors against a strong team who belied their position in Alliance Division Five. Bradenham have three more games to secure promotion, 18 points clear of Cromer in third place with the long trip to Beccles next.

Wanderers elected to bat and scored freely before Steve Watt and Martin Fox (2-46) began to find their range, with Fox dismissing Humphries with the score on 34 in the sixth over.

Mitchell continued to attack and defensive field placings restricted him to singles. Veteran Tim Beeden struggled against the bowling of Fox and led a charmed life scoring 19.

The introduction of skipper Ian Moody (4-26) paid immediate dividends having Beeden caught at slip by Mike Taylor. Another Australian, Adam Arthur, came to the crease and it was Test cricket at its best with the Poms on top. Arthur hit Moody for a six and a four before being caught behind off Fox. Mitchell (48) was threatening to hold the innings together until Moody produced a ball that started wide and bent back to take the top of his

off-stump as he offered no stroke. It was to prove a major point in the game.

Lambert and Bunting came and went, both to Moody, Lambert stunningly caught by Taylor at slip. It was left to Harle with 29 to work with the lower order to give Wanderers a respectable total of 173-9. Laurie Hill was introduced relatively late in the innings and bowled five overs at a very lively pace to pick up 3-16, giving Bradenham four bonus points.

Kyle Goodge and Taylor put on 30 before Goodge was caught at slip. Taylor fell shortly after leaving the Black Caps in trouble on 31-2.

Moody and Kevin Denmark built a patient stand of 50 that took them past drinks. Denmark was bowled for a hard fought 26. Ian Gibb, dropped down the order for reasons of fatigue, scored a rapid 25 before being caught going for a big one. Tom Browes moved the score quickly on before being bowled for 24.

With Bradenham 34 short of victory with five wickets left, Mitchell, the leading wicket taker in Division Five, got Moody with a peach of an in-swinger for a well-made 32 and then Chad Balluza with an identical ball.

Greame Campbell hit 15 before smashing a full toss straight to cover and Bradenham were still 18 short. Watts played Mitchell as well as anyone but was struggling to score anything other than singles. Mitchell then bowled a wide that went for four. Suddenly Bradenham scented victory.

Further singles from Hill and Watts left Bradenham with five to win when Mitchell bowled another fast swinger way down the leg-side that went to the boundary and was signalled a wide.

BRADENHAM lost by six wickets to Great Witchingham in the Sunday League Division Two.

Rob Thurley and Brett Stolworthy put on 98 for the first wicket before Thurley was well caught by T Fisher for 62 and Stolworthy departed three overs later for 40. Fifteen-year-old Tom Orin (29) displayed some elegant shots and a target of 166 was set.

Ash Stolworthy and Blake Whyte bowled well in tandem and after 10 overs the hosts were restricted to 21-1.

Witchingham's strong middle order accelerated the run rate and despite losing Knowles to Brett Stolworthy and an excellent caught and bowled by Andy Cole removing the dangerous Spelman, the home side eased to victory in the 33rd over with J Page undefeated on 101.