Lovewell Blake Norfolk Alliance: The battle for supremacy in the Premier Division remains fiercely competitive after the top four all picked up profitable results on Saturday.

Lovewell Blake Norfolk Alliance: The battle for supremacy in the Premier Division remains fiercely competitive after the top four all picked up profitable results on Saturday.

There were wins for Downham, North Runcton and Cromer, while Norwich & Coltishall Wanderers took a winning draw.

Leaders Downham bowled Brooke out for 136 and although they made hard work of chasing down that target, New Zealander Daniel Flynn guided them to a four-wicket win with an innings of 57.

North Runcton remain in second after an impressive display at Topcroft. Runcton posted 203 all out and then dismissed the hosts for 155, their superior haul of bonus points reducing Downham's lead at the top to 29 points.

Cromer went to Acle and the visitors' overseas player, Rayno Arendse, made 72 in their total of 203 for seven. Acle were bowled out for 105 in reply and remain bottom of the table.

Wanderers also batted first at home to Vauxhall Mallards and Rob Steward's 51 helped them set a score of 206 for seven. Simon Durrant fired 91 in Mallards' response, but they fell short on 179 for eight.

There was a closely-contested match at Beccles, where the hosts enjoyed a nine-run win over Old Buckenham.

Sherantha Mendis made 52 in Beccles' 141 all out, with Richard Holm adding 29, while left arm spinner Chris Howes continued his impressive form, taking four for 25.

Ian Harrison made 56 for Buckenham, but they were undone by Mendis (four for 33) and Holm (two for 42), as they were all out for 132.

The biggest shock of the day was in Division One, where bottom club Saham Toney stunned leaders Lowestoft, beating them by seven wickets.

Lowestoft batted first and slumped to 67 for eight before the innings was rescued by a ninth wicket stand of 53 between Karl Storey (32no) and Matt Reid (26no), taking them to 120 for eight. Saham Toney's overseas star Cameron Rope was the main destroyer, taking four for 20.

Rope then marshalled Saham's reply, top scoring with 40 as they reeled in their target with three wickets down and 11 overs to spare.

But Lowestoft's blushes were spared slightly when they learned the teams in second and third, Norwich and Mattishall, had also slipped up.

Norwich could only manage a total of 116 for nine at Saxlingham and although Gary Dawson took three for 35 in the home side's reply, it could not prevent a four-wicket defeat.

Mattishall's good run of form was ended when they lost at home to Sprowston in a high-scoring game.

Jason Cole made 61 in Mattishall's 216 for nine, but Sprowston bettered that with six wickets down, Geoff Roff hitting 53.

Saham Toney's win drew them closer to Kirkley & Lowestoft Railway and Stow, who both lost.

Kirkley hosted Diss and Robbie Tooke scored 55 for the visitors as they made 197 for six.

The home side made a valiant effort to overhaul that, with Amila Ratnaike firing 70 and Ben Wilgoss hitting 32, but they were all out for 171.

And Stow are now firmly in the relegation picture after a nine-wicket thrashing by Swardeston.

Ed Landymore (49) tried to hold the Stow innings together, but he had little support as his side were bowled out for 132, Nick Foster claiming three for 20, while Sam Thelwell, Tim Price and Darin Goodrum picked up two wickets each.

Simon Jessup (54no) and Tom Goodley (62no) shared an unbroken century stand for the second wicket to guide Swardeston to a comfortable win.