MATTISHALL sent Dereham tumbling off top spot in Norfolk Alliance Division One after victory in a low-scoring derby encounter on Saturday.

Hosts Dereham won the toss at a damp Norwich Road and elected to field first.

Dereham's opening bowlers Bradley Raper and James Harbour were in full flow from the off, with the Mattishall openers finding it tough even to hit the ball off the square. The majority of scoring shots came from thick edges which raced to the boundary. Harbour got Dereham's first wicket with another edge which powered into the hands of wicketkeeper Joe Marczewski.

Harbour then made it two as Howard Tobias tried driving over the top only to snick the ball to Neil Irons at second slip. Mattishall tried to hit their way out of trouble, but the introduction of Jake Anema (5-33) and Max Cheetham (2-59) saw wickets tumble, with nine of the batsmen falling to catches.

Mattishall ended their innings on 138 all out after 45 overs.

Dereham's reply got off to a terrible start when skipper Duncan Hewitt lost his wicket in the fourth over, adjudged lbw without scoring.

David Lake and Irons set about rebuilding before Irons got a low ball that he tried keeping out only to loop the ball in the air. Lake, who hit a century in the previous game, kept going but was undone as his 54-ball innings for six runs ended as he was also given out lbw.

Dereham struggled to cope with the Mattishall bowling and again wickets fell at regular intervals, with only Dan Lake able to make some headway with 35.

Chris Vargeson chipped in with a vauable 11, only to be run out by a direct hit. Dereham were dismissed for 113, falling 26 runs short of victory.

Hewitt said: 'For some strange reason we just can't manage to get the small targets. This is the second time this season we have failed.'

Dereham travel to Cromer on Saturday while Mattishall are at home to Norwich A.