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 for 4 from 16 overs.
The experience of Dave Shearer was at times unplayable on a pitch that at one end was lively to say the least , and Shearer certainly cashed in with an unbroken spell producing a superb 4 for 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 & Van Greuning both joined Wright and jointly helped the score to 165, Wright finishing on a hard earned and invaluable 76, before Taylor and Craske hit straight and ran fast to take the total to 179-8.
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 as Cringleford made a steady start, and bit by bit the scoreboard climbed.
At half way 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 for 3 with the chase on.
However, Charlie Webster showed his younger teammates how to put the ball on a spot and returned an excellent 4 for 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 manoeurvered themselves into a position of needing 49 from the last 8 overs with just 5 wickets down and two men, with their eye in, at the crease.
That Cringleford failed to win 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 the fielder’s nerves showed, Battrick kept his head - and more importantly his nerve - to deliver dot ball after dot ball, only being hit for singles and occasional two. Considering how well Cringleford were batting, it was remarkable that, in five overs at the death and with wickets in hand, they managed just a single boundary from Battrick’s finishing spell.
However there was to be a final twist. With seven balls to go and 9 runs needed Regis was dispatched for a four and a single to leave Cromer staring down the barrel as Cringleford again 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 and leaving the home side chasing 2 from the last ball for victory. Pace & bounce from Battrick , a 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 - in truth 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 got rained off.