In a game dominanted by bat over ball, Saham Toney were on the wrong side of a run feast at Fakenham on Saturday – despite a century by Bruno Norman.

Asked to bat first Saham struggled early doors and found them selves 31 for 3 and needing someone to play a big innings.

Up stepped Bruno Norman and Andy McGeorge to form a partnership of 181 in 28 overs, taking on the home attack and helping Saham to their biggest total of the season.

Norman (115) rode his luck early doors but settled in to play a superb innings of controlled shots to all parts of the ground. McGeorge (82) played his normal attacking game, punishing anything loose.

As both players matched each other run for run it looked that both would reach three figures, but McGeorge fell to a mis-timed pull.

Norman got to his hundred despite being hampered by a back injury and was out in the 45th over.

D Ellis (21 not out) struck some late blows as Saham closed on 281 for 7.

With runs on the board, Saham only needed a tight start to close the game out, and where the batsman had shined the bowlers went hiding as the home side set about chasing down the massive score.

Not one of the Saham attack could stop the home side's onslaught and with the help of some 40 extras of which 28 were wides, Fakenham closed in on their target.

Saham did recover to a extent but with Fakenham needing just five an over from eight overs, the writing was on the wall.

Simon Mower was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 35 off 10, but Fakenham made it home with three balls left, to leave Saham hugely disappointed with fielding efforts.

Saham: A Wood b Dunger 21, D Sims b Smart 0, S Mower b Smart 2, B Norman c Brighton b Dunger 115, A McGeorge c Ylo b Dunger 82, R Goodwin b Dunger 1, S Pitkethley c Findlay b Dunger 0, D Ellis not out 21, P Norman not out 7. Extras 32. Total 281 for 7.

Bowling: B Smart 9-2-52-2, W Dunger 10-0-37-5, R Savory 8-0-45-0, T Hood 9-080-0, C Ylo 7-0-34-0, J Clark 3-0-27-0)

Fakenham: B Whitwood lbw b Norman 69, L Findlay c Goodwin b.Norman 10, W Dunger c B Norman b Mower 100, N Yarham not out 39, J Clark lbw Pitkethly 0, B Smart s Goodwin b.Mower 10, S Brighton not out 6. Extras 44. Total 282 for 5.

Bowling: S Pitkethley 8-0-51-1, P Norman 6-0-38-2, P Sims 9-0-77-0, S Mower 10-0-39-2, D Ellis 5-0-25-0, J Buckland 5-0-33-0, A Woods 3-0-9-0.

Saham Toney A (24 pts) beat Eaton (6 pts) by seven wickets in Lucas Fettes Norfolk League Division Three.

Saham Toney A hosted a strong Eaton side who were fresh from scoring 330 the previous week, Eaton won the toss and elected to bat first on a very flat batting track.

Eaton scored runs at will and after their 45 overs they finished with 222 for six with Xavier Huckle the pick of the Saham bowlers with figures of 2-32 off 12.

Saham's response got off to a bad start when they lost their first wicket in the third over Goodwin going to a great return catch off the bowling of Billington for one.

That brought Xavier Huckle to the crease in partnership with John Rumer the pair set about the run chase.

They put together a 173 second-wicket partnership which was brought to an end when Rumer followed Goodwin's lead in returning a catch to the bowler in the 36th over making 54.

E Huckle joined his older brother at the crease to continue the chase. X Huckle was out in the 43rd over after making a superb 134, leaving his brother to hit the winning runs in the next over.

Eaton: D Clarke b S Huckle 34, R Duke c Brown b X Huckle 26, M Barker c Rumer b X Huckle 60, M Duke c-b Kemp 16, N Barker not out 34, O Chambers run out 11, L Billington c Kemp b E Huckle 3; extras 39. Total (6 wkts) 222. Bowling: E Huckle 12-1-48-1, X Huckle 12-3-32-2, D Norman 3-0-24-0, S Huckle 8-2-34-0, J Rumer 4-0-23-0, M Kemp 4-0-19-1 H Brown 2-0-20-0.

Saham Toney A: A J Rumer c-b Billington 54, B Goodwin c-b Billington 1, X Huckle c M Duke b Footer 134, E Huckle not out 19, T Turner not out 4; extras 12. Total (3 wkts) 224.