Alex Craske starred for the second week running as Cromer 2nd XI narrowly missed out on a remarkable victory in Norfolk Alliance Division Five.
Chasing 223 to win, Craske took Cromer to the brink with a superb 55 - a position that had been beyond the realms of the imagination as the home side slumped to 54-4. But he fell to Wanderers' paceman Mitchell, leaving Cromer to bat out for a 90% losing draw and 13 points in a tense finale.
Cromer had been invited to bowl on a decent track and were soon in trouble. Openers Mitchell and Humphries took at shine to the Cromer new-ball attack of Nathan Taylor and John Battrick, and raced out of the traps with a lusty display of hitting, tempered with some good cricket strokes from Mitchell.
The writing was on the wall with the score at 57 off seven overs, and Cromer took drinks after 15 with the 100 already on the board, and looking down the barrel of a massive total.
However, the bowling unit fought back manfully, with Craske nipping out Humphries for 50 and Mitchell for 86, and then put the stranglehold on the Wanderers' batsmen. Paul Winterbone chipped in with three wickets, and the final score of 222-8 was somewhat of a relief after the first half of the innings.
Cromer came out to reply knowing that Mitchell was the leading wicket-taker in the division, but it was his opening partner Arthur who did the damage. He had Kevin Neale caught in the gully, removed Graveling third ball with an unplayable delivery that pitched middle and hit off, and had Buck caught behind for 10 to leave the home side in all sorts of trouble.
Alan Lithins looked to be holding the innings together and had played some brutal strokes when he was run out for 29, and Cromer were left with young guns Craske and Battrick to try and salvage something from the game. They both took to their task with some excellent shots and, when Battrick was bowled for a fluent 31, Craske took over.
He got stuck in to aussie Mitchell, launching him for a massive six that crashed off the pavilion roof, and suddenly Cromer were scenting a famous win. But Mitchell had his revenge, bowling the all-rounder for a fabulous 55, and the game swung Wanderers' way once more.
However, all was not lost as the Cromer lower-order came to the party; Winterbone with a solid 12 and then Taylor, with two massive sixes, and Ben Zelos taking the home side to 90% of the target and clinging on to the draw by one wicket.