Old Buckenham enjoyed a confidence-boosting victory on their Norfolk Alliance top flight return as they crushed Lowestoft on Saturday.

Spinner Rob Austin, stand-in skipper for the day, bagged 5 for 21 to give the Bucks a welcome early taste of life at the top. They posted 170 for 7, James Heaney hitting a half century and and then skittled out the seasiders for 77. It took Bucks 15 games to register a win in their last Premier Division campaign in 2010.

Acle marked their return to the Premier Division with a losing draw, David Huggins scoring a vital patient 74 as they reached 119-8 in reply to last season's runners-up Sprowston's 170-8 total. Acle were reeling at 23-5 with five of the team's top six scoring ducks. Iain Murrell's 48 had earlier helped Sprowston to recover from 52-5 Downham's proud top-flight pedigree counted for nothing as they were skittled for 116 and suffered an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Diss, with Chris Cooper claiming 4 for 7 and James Wilby hitting 47.

In Division One Patrick Dewing top scored with 36 in Bradenham's draw with Dereham.

An unbeaten 71 from Dale Reynolds helped Swardeston A to a hard-fought Divison Two victory over Saxlingham while Paul Reeve's half century for Hethersett and Tas Valley paved the way for a two-wicket win over Downham A for whom Lee Smith scored 73.

In Division Three Garboldisham enjoyed an eight-wicket win with Robert Fuller bagging four wickets as North Runcton A were dismissed for 88. Tom Yorke's half century helped Bungay to a crushing Division Four victory over Hethersett and Tas Valley A who were dismissed for 78 chasing a 164 target. Dave Austin had bagged 5 for 23 for Hethersett.

Jonny Bidewell's 102 helped Bradenham A to the top of Division Five after a five-wicket win over Rocklands for whom Greg Mann hit 61. Ben Asker scored 71 in Garboldisham A's winning draw against Swardeston CEYMS.

Division Six saw a parade of centurions. Richard Smith led the way with an unbeaten 104 for last season's Norfolk League runners-up Old Catton. They crushed Topcroft A, who were dismissed for 58 in pursuit of a 239 victory target. Thetford A's Ryan Conroy also notched three figures, with 109 in the winning draw against Beccles A. Dave Newey and Daniel Phelps shared eight wickets for the Brecklanders. Lowestoft A's six-wicket win over Dereham A was based around Ryan De Coteau's unbeaten 101.