Stars with bat and ball for Cromer A

PAUL Winterbone was the star of the show with 4-28 as Cromer A continued their impressive Norfolk Alliance Division Five campaign with a great team performance to seal maximum points at Topcroft A to consolidate third place.

Cromer were inserted on a damp, hard wicket, and openers Kimber and Gascoyne were soon back in the pavilion. Skipper Alan Lithins stopped the madness and avoided any embarrassment as he eased the score along. As the clouds gathered, he consolidated the innings in the sun and rain.

Lithins fell, slashing at the spinner, for a fine 38, but Richard Graveling was starting to find the middle of the bat at the other end. He and John Battrick eased the score along before Battrick fell for a cool 22.

Gavin Neale had been short of runs but he proved that class is permanent as he and Graveling accelerated, running well between the wickets and picking off the Topcroft attack with some excellent strokes.

Graveling reached his 100, and Neale was soon also taking the applause for a superb half-century. The pair put on an unbeaten 90, with last week's batting hero Dave Green left in the pavilion, and set up a challenging target of 244-4.

It proved to be more than enough, as Winterbone swept the Topcroft reply aside with some dominant swing and seam bowling to take 4-28 and effectively end the game as a contest, with Battrick finding some lively pace down the hill.

The Cromer fielding was in the groove, with good catches from Gavin Neale and Lithins, a reflex, diving grab from Graveling at gully and a sharply-taken Gascoyne snaffle at slip.

Taylor replaced Battrick with a hostile, fiery four-over spell, but it was Kevin Neale who mopped up with three wickets to decimate the Topcroft tail.

When Dave Green ran out the last man Cromer were out of Dodge with a maximum 25 points and their tails up, consolidating third place.

They now have five weeks of massive matches looming, starting with league leaders Halvergate at the Norton Warnes on Saturday (1pm).