BRADENHAM gained nine points from a losing draw against Stow in the Alliance Division One.With the game cut to 36 overs per side due to threatening weather conditions a positive result was always going to be difficult.

BRADENHAM gained nine points from a losing draw against Stow in the Alliance Division One.

With the game cut to 36 overs per side due to threatening weather conditions a positive result was always going to be difficult.

Stow's innings was dominated by Sam Albutt with a hard-hitting 73, including 12 fours and a six. Denny also scored a quick-fire 36 as Stow posted a daunting 220-6 in their 36 overs. Bradenham will be disappointed by conceding 43 extras of which 37 were from wides and no balls.

Bradenham's innings started badly as Steve Matthews (0) and Rob Thurley (4) went with only 14 on the board. Marcus Evans and Mark Hunter started the rebuilding exercise until Evans was dismissed for 20 with the score on 74.

Hunter was joined by Patrick Dewing and the pair then set about the away attack, putting on 74 in just 10 overs to take Bradenham to 150 and maximum batting points. Dewing departed in the last over for a 39 ball innings of 62 whilst Hunter remained unbeaten with a very mature innings of 53.

BRADENHAMA: After the Bradenham A and Rocklands Alliance Division Five skippers agreed to play a 36-over match because of the heavy rain forecast, Bradenham were the victors by a very healthy margin.

The game was much more tense than the card suggests. Bradenham were asked to bat on a soft, green wicket and apart from the first and last wicket struggled to make a decent target. Brett Gates with a well-crafted 32 and Ian Gibb a belligerent 25 set them on the road for glory with a partnership of 42 but then the wheels came off with the next four batsman scoring seven between them.

Tom Browes offered some hope with a lusty 15 but at 99-9 with seven overs left Bradenham were teetering on the edge of a calamitous defeat. Steve Watts and Laurie Hill then added a fine 33 for the last wicket, sensibly using up the over before a final onslaught. Watts with 14 and Hill with seven not out helped Bradenham to a respectable 132 all out assisted by Rocklands offering 27 extras.

Bradenham rushed around and were quickly into their stride with Gates picking up the key wickets, leaving Rocklands rocking on 7-4 from 12 overs. Steve Watts accounted for S Mann. Gates's second five-wicket haul in four games came courtesy of a caught and bowled to dismiss Dunning for six. Only M Mann stood firm. Gates' spell of nine overs 5-20 had put the black caps firmly in control. Would the rain intervene?

The introduction of off-spinner Chad Balluza and Martin Fox sealed the game in double quick time with Balluza 3-5 and Fox 1-0. Rocklands had been dismissed for 28 in 23 overs.

Man of the match for Bradenham has to be Brett Gates for his excellent knock, four catches and five wickets. Gates has only actually played four games and is 44-years-old.

Bradenham, Mid Norfolk League Derek Cousins Division Two leaders, made their first-ever visit to the Royal estate at Sandringham to take on the third-placed hosts.

Bradenham were invited to bat and despite an opening stand of 38 struggled to come to terms with the slow pace of the wicket and lost wickets regularly through the innings. The experience of Patrick Dewing, coming in at No 9, gave the visitors something to defend as he remained undefeated on 34 in a total of 158.

The Sandringham openers had little difficultyand after 10 overs the scoreboard had moved on to 74. The introduction of Andrew Cole and Will Dewing slowed the rate considerably with Dewing taking 2-9 off his four overs. His father, Patrick, claimed 2-12 from six overs to put the pressure back on the home side. With seven wickets down they kept their cool and reached their target with eight balls to spare.

DEREHAM B secured only their second West Norfolk League Division Four victory of the season with a five-wicket triumph over Gooderstone A.

Aaron Fletcher was the pick of the Dereham bowlers as he took 3-7 from nine overs and ripped through the visitors' top order in an excellent opening spell. At one stage Gooderstone were 8-4 but the middle order made a recovery and they managed to get a total of 70.

Ian Clarke and Rob Mabee both took 2-8 from seven overs and the other wickets went to Ryan Widdows (2-14) and Neil Widdows (1-23). Young wicket keeper Liam Cameron got a good stumping and a catch.

In reply, Dereham made a solid start and captain Sam Widdows got 22 to see the team on their way. Nic Bliss scored 12 and Rob Mabee got 10 and although Dereham lost five wickets, Clarke hit two fours to seal the victory.

Dereham's Alliance side made 183 against Saxlingham in Division Two, who responded with a match-winning 185-2.

NORTH Elmham travelled to play Garboldisham B at Shadwell in Norfolk League Division Seven. Losing the toss Elmham were invited to bat on a pitch lacking pace or bounce.

Josh Hall opened the innings with regular opener Stephan Malherbe but was soon lbw for one, Keeble dragged a ball onto his stumps for 17 and Elmham were 35 for two. Richie Futter and Malherbe added 50 before Malherbe was out for 33. Palmer soon followed before a cameo from Christo Slabbert took the score to 117 for four before Elmham collapsed to 125 all out, loosing six wickets for the addition of only eight runs.

Futter made a fine 39 but perished trying to up the tempo. J Rogers was the main wicket taker with six for 33.

Elmham knew they had to bowl tidily and Andy Kay had opener Ling caught at slip in his first over. Ant Keeble bowled fellow opener Thorne and Garboldisham were nine for two. Keeble continued to make inroads into the Garboldisham batting but Kay was struggling to find his usual rhythm. Mat Elmar replaced Kay and had Shepherd caught in his third over, but Garboldisham were scoring too freely.

The score 71 for fix from only 16 overs.

Chris Palmer decided to bowl himself to try and get some control over the scoring rate. However home skipper Barnes and youngster Tippett batted sensibly, taking the score to 112 before Palmer bowled Tippett. With 20 overs left Garboldisham only needed 12 runs with three wickets in hand. Keeble changed ends and bowled Asker: four runs to win two wickets in hand.

Barnes, batting with a runner due to pulling a muscle, tried to finish it in one hit but spooned the ball to Malherbe who held the catch. Still four runs to win but now only one wicket. Last pair Rogers and Paul edged their way to victory with eight overs to spare. Keeble taking five for 37, Palmer two for 16 from 11.2 overs.

The small Elmham squad, second in the table, is being exposed now that the holiday season is here but the priority is to keep the side going and to still be around next season.

SWANTON MORLEY took on Chaplefield, looking for revenge for their six-run defeat earlier in the season.

Chapelfield elected to bat. Opening bowlers Greg Scriven and young Soren Gauntlet got Swanton off to a flying start, with Gauntlet bowling the left-handed opener in only his second over. And Scriven had the other opener caught in the next over. Scriven and Gauntlet picked up a further wicket each.

Ollie Hood then caused the Chapelfield batsmen further trouble, picking up two wickets. Jordan Mustard and Harry Simpson picked up a wicket each before Wayne McKinney finished the innings. Chapelfield were all out for 104.

Swanton opener Richard Packham was dismissed in the ninth over with the score on 27. Skipper Jonny Bidewell joined Luke Folan before Folan was bowled in the 13th over, with Daniel Lake being run out shortly after.

Thankfully for Swanton, their skipper was in good form and saw his side home with the loss of just one more wicket, Bidewell finishing 42 not out.

SWANTON Morley A visited Beeston in Division Four of the West Norfolk League. This was the first game played between the two sides as all three fixtures arranged for 2008 fell victim to the weather.

Clive Parke invited Peter Ellis' visiting team to bat first on a slow but reasonably true wicket. Andy Graver and Nicky Bambridge bowled a very tidy opening spell, restricting the visitors to 52 for three after 24 overs. Marcus English bowled Andy Graham off an inside edge: 58-4 off 25 overs.

Barry Green and opener Gary Whiteside put on an unbeaten fifth wicket stand of 121 off 20 overs to finish on 52 and 63 not out respectively.

The Beeston reply was soon in trouble with Jordan Mustard having Andy Parke caught by Peter Fuller in his first over and then bowling C Woods in his second, sandwiched between repaying the compliment by catching Oldfield off Fuller. Parke led a mini revival, taking the score to 75 before he was the fifth wicket to fall again caught by Mustard off Jake Bartholomew for 35. After Parke had been dismissed only Michael Symonds (16) and Robert Wall (28) reached double figures both falling victim to David Powell who took 3-32 off seven overs. Fuller also took three wickets costing 28 runs off 11.1 overs. Other notable catches were held by Green, Graham, Whiteside and wicket keeper Ellis standing up to the stumps to dismiss Beeston for 132 off 36.1 overs, 47 runs short of the visitors total.

Swanton's next game is away to Wisbech whose only defeat this season came when they visited the Angel Cricket Ground earlier in the season.

BEETLEY entertained Hockwold and put in to bat were 24-3 when Ady Burton joined Keith Daykin. They took the score to 43, including two sixes for Daykin, who played on for 23. Sanjay Shah and Ady Burton (15) added 23 before the latter was caught. Wickets fell quickly as Harris (7-41) decimated the Beetley side, with the only resistance being a six from James Perkins (8) and Sanjay Shah (19), who was the last man out: Beetley 89 all out.

Beetley needed early wickets and James Perkins struck three times, aided by catches by Nick Calvert, Paul Taylor and Ady Burton: 15-3. S Groom and T Harris took the score to 52 when Harris was caught by Daykin for 27 off Perkins. S Groom (38), supported by L Bland, took Hockwold in sight of victory, but with the score on 83 he was caught by Stewart McErleane to become Perkins' (five for 41) final wicket. L Bland (16 no) scored the winning runs to give Hockwold a deserved victory.