Cromer A marked their return to the Alliance with a dramatic last-over victory against old rivals Brooke. Chasing the home side's 241, and with the match in the balance, veteran Pete Gascoyne shepherded the lower-middle order home to seal the win and take 23 points back to the coast. Gascoyne took the applause, bathed in early evening sunlight, after a masterful display of finishing fully justified new skipper Alan Lithins' decision to save him until number seven.
Cromer's innings had got off to an explosive start, with Lithins, Richard Graveling and the imperious Kevin Neale – back for Cromer after a two-year absence – punishing anything loose from the Brooke attack. But wickets kept tumbling regularly and it was Luke Barrett, following up an impressive wicket-keeping display, who brought some much-needed solidity to the innings with a cool 56, punctuated by some brutal strokeplay. Sam Dickens kept Barrett company, but the game was in the balance as Barrett narrowly failed to clear long-on and, with the spinners tying down the run-rate, Brooke suddenly scented the win.
However, Cromer's nerves were gradually soothed as Battrick and Gascoyne, with a flurry of boundaries, pulled the innings back round. Battrick departed for a classy 24 but Dave Green and Alex Craske both hit vital boundaries, and Gascoyne made Brooke pay for a crucial drop with twelve still needed as he hit the first ball of the last over for the winning runs and an unbeaten 54.
Earlier a rusty bowling and fielding display had threatened to leave Cromer with an unattainable target, before Lithins, Gascoyne and Neale took the pace off the ball and slowed down the rate. The dangerous Danes hit a blistering 76 before Graveling clung on to a skier, and a well-rehearsed double-act in the deep between Craske and Battrick saw off the big-hitting Douglas.
Neale was the pick of the attack with 3-44, but the Cromer bowlers go into their next game against Topcroft at Norton Warnes knowing that, despite the excellent result, there is much more to come from them all.