16 July 2007
An extraordinary day in the EAPL saw the title race blown wide open as the top two, Swardeston and Bury were both beaten.
Shock result of the day came at Fakenham where the hosts, firmly rooted to the bottom of the table, beat leaders Swardeston by 38 runs.
Batting first, Fakenham shrugged off the trait of losing early wickets as openers Shaun Cooper and Paul Dunger put on 49.
Their prospects did not look so good when skipper Michael Smith fell without scoring, but Stephen Gray held the innings together, making 72 from 118 balls, including seven fours, before being run out.
David Wells contributed a useful 29 in the lower order to help Fakenham to a final total of 212 for eight - the first time this season that they have posted a score above 200 - with two wickets apiece for George Walker and Jaden Hatwell.
There was an early breakthrough in the Swardeston reply as Adam Woodhouse removed Loyala Herathge. Daniel Martin and Rob Newton took the score up to 34, but Ian Slegg then produced a match-winning burst, removing Newton, Hatwell and Richard Sims, while Woodhouse accounted for Martin, leaving the visitors on 50 for five.
Brian Murphy (35) tried to revive Swardeston, but he became Slegg's fourth victim and although Walker made an unbeaten 31, the visitors were all out for 174 in the 44th over.
Godmanchester are now firmly among the title contenders after beating Bury by 102 runs. The result moves Godmanchester above Bury into second, 10 points behind Swardeston.
Great Witchingham are fourth after their 35-run win at home to Cambridge Granta.
James Spelman (58) and skipper Dennis Rogers (50) were the main contributors in Witchingham's total of 181 all out.
Lance Shaw then claimed his customary early breakthroughs, removing Michael Peacock and Mark Bott without a run on the board.
That brought Granta's dangerman, Jacques du Toit, to the crease and he was just getting into his stride when he was trapped lbw by Stuart Evans for 32.
Evans went on to bag four wickets and Shaw also collected four as Granta were bowled out for 146.
Horsford have had their struggles this season, but their home form has been their saviour and their liking for the conditions at Manor Park was in evidence again on Saturday as they beat Clacton by 13 runs.
Horsford batted first and their innings was based around 95 from Sri Lankan Duminda Perera, while the middle order also chipped in, through Matthew Warnes (32) and Chris Brown (28) as Horsford closed on 223 for six.
Clacton struggled to 56 for three before a fourth wicket stand of 78 between Indika De Saram and Martin Smith put them back on track.
When Jim Rice trapped Smith lbw for 34, it became a matter of whether De Saram could single-handedly take Clacton past their target. He came close, hitting 119 before becoming one of four victims for Brown as Clacton were dismissed for 210.
Vauxhall Mallards' resurgence continued and they will not have ruled themselves out of the title race yet after beating Norwich by four wickets at Brundall.
Norwich batted first, but only Ben Patston (35) from the top five batsmen managed to reach double figures. Tom Vaughan (33) provided some stability late in the innings, allowing the visitors to post 143 all out, with Martin Addison claiming three wickets.
Mallards looked to be cruising as openers Carl Amos and Rob Purton put on 52 for the first wicket, before Paul Wiseman and Ashley Watson induced a collapse, leaving the hosts on 65 for five.
They were rescued by Peter Free (29) and Richard Moores (45no) and although Free was given out lbw to Watson, Mallards skipper Paul Bradshaw joined Moores to see their side home in just the 28th over.
