As the sun set on a sparkling May afternoon, Cromer's second XI drove away from the Tas Valley knowing that they had let ten points slip away from a game they should have won.
There were many good things about the Cromer performance. An exceptional opening stand of 187 between skipper Alan Lithins and star batsman Pete Gascoyne, a cameo 25* from Kevin Neale, a solid fielding display and four canny wickets from the irrepressible Gascoyne - yet the visitors lacked that final touch of magic to nail the final HTV wicket and take the win that the numbers deserved.
In fact, if HTV's King had not given up the chase as he ran out of partners, it could have been much worse for Cromer. The home side closed on 229-9, just 22 away from a victory that seemed on the far side of unlikely for most of the afternoon.
Cromer's openers had enjoyed first use of the excellent home track, Lithins and Gascoyne pacing their stand well and picking off the loose balls with panache. As HTV rotated their bowlers in hope of a breakthrough the imperious Cromer batsmen carried on plundering runs, and it seemed that the rest of the lineup were destined for an afternoon off when Gascoyne chopped on agonisingly for a superb 94.
As so often happens after a large stand, the middle-order struggled to come to terms with the challenge of capitalising, and wickets tumbled. Gavin Neale, Graveling, Bond, Kimber and Craske all fell and, though Lithins deservedly reached a majestic hundred, it was only when Kevin Neale arrived at number eight that the Cromer innings gained some added momentum. Neale unveiled some top-quality cricket strokes in a delicious 25, which took Cromer to tea at exactly 250. Lithins was unbeaten on 105 and had anchored the Cromer knock with some typically domineering batting.
The home innings was soon on the back foot, as Craske bowled Hunt and Winterbone had Street caught by the juggling Kimber in the gulley. But Ellis and Mitchell stabilised the situation as the seamers struggled to impose themselves on the shirtfront wicket.
Gascoyne's slow right-arm was whistled up by Lithins, and he responded by ending Mitchell's stay for 53, and snaring two more HTV middle-order batsmen with some wily bowling to give Cromer the advantage once more. And when Graveling had Ellis well caught by Jack Van Greuning and then enticed Scott to slap a drive to extra cover, the visitors were looking good for the win.
But King had other ideas. He tucked in to the Cromer spin attack with some fine hitting, and though Bond took a great catch to give Gascoyne his fourth victim, the pugnacious HTV number seven was giving the home side the outside chance of a late run at the win. But with 90% of the target secure, and Winterbone nicking the ninth wicket, King shut up shop to leave HTV 22 short and happy with the losing draw.
Cromer, however, set off back to the coast with no illusions how much hard work will be required to win this league and gain promotion to Division Four.