Green (8*) and Lithins (38*) - job done at the Norton Warnes
Sixteen-year-old Alex Craske was the star with the bat as Cromer twos got their season back on track at the sun-drenched Norton Warnes on Saturday.
Batting at number six, Craske came to the wicket with Cromer's assault on their target of 212 in the balance. But he settled the home side's butterflies with a nerveless display of quality strokemaking, hitting beautifully down the ground and picking off the Rocklands' attack with a couple of huge straight sixes. It was a superb performance from Craske under pressure, and it was clear to the crowd on the South Bank that he has all the tools to develop into a punishing allrounder.
Craske couldn't quite finish the job, slicing to backwards point, but skipper Alan Lithins saw his side home with a cool unbeaten 38, and Dave Green hit the winning runs with a couple of overs to spare. .
Earlier Cromer had restricted Rocklands to a manageable 221-8, Paul Winterbone taking 3-52 in a welcome return to the club after a ten-year sabbatical. But it was an inconsistent bowling performance by the home attack, and only the metronomic Kevin Neale found his line regularly. Neale put on the brakes and finished with a valuable 2-39 off twelve overs of nagging swing bowling, Adie Buck chipping in with 2-54.
Once more the Cromer top order got themselves in and out again, with Ben Clark chipping to mid-on, Gavin Neale running himself out, and Richard Graveling slicing to point after some promising shots. Kevin Neale and Buck also came and went after good starts, but Craske was poised for his match-winning knock to give Cromer 24 points which saw them climb back up the Division Five table.