AFTER spending last Saturday with their feet up watching the rain fall Cromer A were back in action at Cringleford on Saturday.Winning the toss and electing to bat looked like a bad move as Cromer were reduced to 50-4 from 16 overs.

AFTER spending last Saturday with their feet up watching the rain fall Cromer A were back in action at Cringleford on Saturday.

Winning the toss and electing to bat looked like a bad move as Cromer were reduced to 50-4 from 16 overs.

The bowling of experienced Dave Shearer was at times unplayable on a pitch that at one end was lively to say the least, and Shearer cashed in with an unbroken spell producing a superb 4-22.

Through the chaos Jez Wright stood firm until joined by Nick Bond, making his first league outing of the season, and between them they took the score to 104 before Bond played and missed and became Shearer's final victim.

Battrick and Van Greuning both joined Wright and jointly helped the score to 165, Wrioght making a hard-earned and invaluable 76 before Taylor and Craske hit straight and ran fast to take the total to 179.

At tea Cromer were confident that with the same bounce as Cringleford enjoyed they would keep the home team at bay.

It was not to be, and Cringleford made a steady start and bit by bit the scoreboard climbed

At halfway Cringleford still needed 100 runs and by now Van Greuning was beginning to wonder if it was just not going to be Cromer's day as the home side sat at 71-3 with the chase on.

Webster showed his younger team-mates how to put the ball on a spot and returned an excellent 4-32, Regis, Craske and Taylor all bowled with varying fortune, Craske being the pick of the three.

Webster took the honours for his four wickets, but as the light faded and the threat of rain still circled south Norwich, Cringleford manoeuvred themselves into a position of needing 49 from the last eight overs with just five wickets down and two men with their eye in at the crease.

That Cringleford failed was entirely due to the fantastic effort of young John Battrick who came back on to complete his quota with five overs pace and accuracy.

As the total got closer and fielders nerves showed, Battrick kept his head, and more importantly his nerve, to deliver dot ball after dot ball, only being hit for singles and an occasional two.

Considering how well Cringleford were batting it is remarkable that in five overs at the death and with wickets in hand Cringleford managed just a single boundary from Battrick's finishing spell.

With seven balls to go and nine runs needed Regis was dispatched for a four and a single to leave Cromer staring down the barrel as Cringleford looked red-hot favourites to take the points.

Somehow Battrick summoned up all his energies and sent down an over of sheer brilliance to give away just two singles, leaving the home side chasing two from the last ball for victory.

Pace and bounce from Battrick, wild swing and miss from the excellent Bird, and as the home side scrambled a bye to the wicket keeper the match was tied.

All credit to both teams for a fabulous game of cricket. Cringleford would have been deserved winners on the day but, thanks to Battrick, Cromer took home a much-needed 15 points to remain in second place on a day when their rivals either lost or their games got rained off.