Dereham A produced a battling performance to end table-topping Hayley East Anglia's unbeaten start to the season in West Norfolk League Division One.Electing to bat first, Dereham were soon 33-3, which brought together in-form skipper Neil Irons and A team debutant and Dereham FC manager Matt Henman.

Dereham A produced a battling performance to end table-topping Hayley East Anglia's unbeaten start to the season in West Norfolk League Division One.

Electing to bat first, Dereham were soon 33-3, which brought together in-form skipper Neil Irons and A team debutant and Dereham FC manager Matt Henman. They delivered a swashbuckling partnership of 130, with Irons hitting 69 and Henman finishing on 54 not out.

The innings was bolstered by Ian Battelley's 29, leaving Dereham on 222-7 after 45 overs.

Dereham's bowlers soon got to work in stopping the Hayley charge as the first wicket fell on 34 to Kristian Fletcher, who returned excellent figures of three for 32.

Hayley were then thwarted by an inspired Cameron Brown as he tore into the visitors' batting order, claiming 6-37 as Dereham bowled their opponents out to win by seven runs.

Club chairman Adie Hewitt said afterwards: “This was by far the best performance I've witnessed for several years from our second XI.”

Dereham B were beaten by seven wickets at Narborough A in West Norfolk Division Four.

Batting first, teenager David Lake and veteran Tony Carter gave Dereham a good start, both hitting 47. Robert Dack added 38 as Dereham closed on 169-8 from their 45 overs.

But despite a tidy spell from Bradley Raper, who took 2-20 from 10 overs, Dereham were beaten in the 41st over, skipper J Hansell hitting 55 for Narborough.