Cromer II returned to Norfolk Squash League Division Four action when they entertained top-of-the-table Diss looking to extend their winning run to six successive matches and seven in all.

Cromer II returned to Norfolk Squash League Division Four action when they entertained top-of-the-table Diss looking to extend their winning run to six successive matches and seven in all.

With Adam Smith and young Alex Foster both available captain Barry Starling made two changes from the team who last played early in December as he decided to give Martin Sanville a well-deserved rest. In what proved a shrewd move, he surprisingly left himself out.

Smith was disappointed with his performance as he went down to a straight-game defeat, and when Foster lost the opening two games of his fifth-string match things were not looking too promising.

But, with age on his side, he recovered well to level the match at 2-2 and then in a tense final game he clinched the match by winning the game 10-8 to take the match 3-2.

Ben Herrieven was similarly struggling at No 3 and when he went 0-2 down he looked to be well and truly beaten. He has learnt a lot over the season and changed his game to drew level at 2-2 before saving match ball in the fifth and taking the game 10-8.

At No 2 Henri Paul was up against the same opponent who beat him 3-0 earlier in the season at Diss but this time the positions were totally reversed as Paul's all-action style enabled him to turn the tables with a straight-game victory.

In the first-string match Willie Frazer, who was making his final second team performance before returning to regular first team duty, had a strange match against a very skilful opponent. He lost the opening game 9-3 but then took the next two without dropping a point and led 8-2 in the fourth before his opponent recovered to take the game 9-8 and then the decisive final game 9-6.

This left the final score 16-10 in favour of Cromer and the result moves them to the top of the table just one point ahead of Diss but with six matches left to play.

Starling said afterwards: “I made the right decision to leave myself out, because at my age I don't think I would have been able to come back from behind like the two youngsters did. They were magnificent, as was Henri Paul, and I hope we will continue this good form for the rest of the season.”

Results: Willie Frazer lost to Tom Bobbins 3-9 9-0 9-0 8-9 6-9, Henri Paul beat Nigel Thomson 9-3 9-7 9-4, Ben Herrieven beat Trend Binks 6-9 2-9 9-2 9-6 10-8, Adam Smith lost to Nathan Hogg 8-10 0-9 6-9, Alex Foster beat Peter Clark 3-9 3-9 9-1 9-4 10-8.