Stormin' Normans help Watton

UNBEATEN Watton CC hosted third placed Old Catton A aiming to extend their lead at the top of Lucas Fettes Norfolk Cricket League Division Five. Watton won the toss and decided to bat first on a soft wicket offering variable bounce to assist bowlers.

UNBEATEN Watton CC hosted third placed Old Catton A aiming to extend their lead at the top of Lucas Fettes Norfolk Cricket League Division Five.

Watton won the toss and decided to bat first on a soft wicket offering variable bounce to assist bowlers.

Old Catton's young opening bowler Turner (2-36) made a great start snaring two wickets in his first two overs putting Watton's top order batsmen under pressure.

But, Bruno Norman (51 runs) and Joe Oakey (37 runs) batted superbly together for the third wicket to take the score from 10 for 2 to 112 before Norman was caught behind off spinner Crisp (2-35).

Crisp bowled 24 overs in tandom with fellow spinner Munday (3-20) to restrict Watton's batsmen, together they bowled very few bad balls giving the batsmen little chance to score quick runs.

Watton batted out the allotted 45 overs posting a total of 149-9. Ten-man Old Catton seemed pleased with their efforts in the warm sunshine.

After a short tea interval, Old Catton began to chase down their target, but were immediately in trouble, the first three batsman fell in quick succession to Gavin Norman (3-13)

Soon Joe Norman (5 for 25) joined the party bowling quick short pitched balls troubling all the batsmen, he took five wickets in eight balls including three in three to give him a first-ever hat-trick.

Old Catton A were reduced to 25-8 in 12 overs with seven batsmen out for a duck. An embarrassingly low score was on the cards, but Raj (22 runs) chanced his arm and was dropped three times while helping to gain some respectability.

Old Catton A were finally all out for 47, handing Watton victory by a margin of 102 runs.

Watton have now won nine out of nine matches this season and lead the division by 47 points.