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Man-of-the-Match Green is toasted by his teammates
Dave Green tipped the balance in a dramatic game against recent fierce rivals Brooke at the Norton Warnes on Saturday, as Cromer’s second XI bounced back from the disappointment of the previous week’s trip to Beccles with an excellent team performance.
Green hit a vital 47* to give the Cromer innings a critical final push towards a challenging first-innings total of 220-8, then held his nerve under a steepling catch to remove Brooke dangerman Daynes and guarantee his side a dominant winning draw.
Cromer had lost a toss they were hoping to win, and were put into bat. The damp pitch was tricky for all the top order with the exception of Ben Clarke, who showed his class with some superb strokes in a quick-time 29 that gave Cromer a flying start, but he was trapped in front by Jackson, and Graveling and Battrick quickly followed. Skipper Gascoyne provided some stability with a classy 42 before the experienced Brooke spinners came on.
Gascoyne fell immediately and Gavin Neale and Craske dug in, resisting tempation and settling for singles to keep the board ticking over. It was a responsible performance with the innings in the balance, although there was still work to do when Green came to the crease.
He married solid defence with some superb clean hitting down the ground, and found an ally in Winterbone as they pushed the score up above 200. The visitors’ heads began to drop, and, with a huge Winterbone six over the pavilion in the last over, the Cromer pair had given their side the advantage at tea.
Cromer’s bowlers took a stranglehold on the Brooke reply from the first over, Battrick removing Cushing with one that nipped back to take off-stump, while at the other end Winterbone was mixing his pace up nicely and proving impossible to get away. It was just the start Cromer needed, and after Battrick’s parsimonious spell ended Gascoyne whistled up the pacey Taylor and was rewarded with the wicket of Andrews, clean bowled for 19.
By now Brooke were well behind the rate, but Daynes took command and advantage of the small Cromer boundaries, hitting out strongly and dragging the visitors back into the game. But Kevin Neale was chipping away at the other end, removing Bennett, and then enticing Daynes to loft to Green at deep extra-cover, who held a superb catch to see off the Brooke number 4 for a fine 84. It was the turning point in the game.
Cromer sensed the win and Gascoyne, mixing up his attack well, was rewarded as Battrick nipped out Douglas and Hayman, and Winterbone bowled Carver. But in a tense finale the final Brooke pair held out to give Cromer the winning draw.
The home side’s display was a much improved effort, with resilient batting, tight bowling and solid fielding and catching, and gives Cromer a real impetus as the halfway mark of the season approaches.