Norfolk's Anglian League ambition received a setback when both county teams were narrowly beaten by Cambridgeshire. The first team lost 7-5 and the second 6�-5�.

The result put paid to the first team's hopes of topping the table. Had they beaten Cambridgeshire they would have been in second place, two points behind their final opponents of the season, Northamptonshire.

Now, however, they're playing for place, although the outcome of their last game could have a significant effect on the final result of the league.

County captain Jon Baker-Odlin said; 'We can't finish worse than fourth and if we beat Northants in our last game we can finish second. That's my objective.'

The first team match at Ely City was a close affair, with the foursomes shared 2-2 and, after six of the eight singles had been completed, the teams were still level pegging. However, the final two games on the course, involving Simon Clark and Matt Bacon, both went the way of Cambridgeshire.

The foursomes had produced some fighting play with both Norfolk's points were earned by comebacks. Matt Alden and Kit Holmes were four down with seven to play but went on to win, as did Aaron Bullock and Matt Bacon, who were three down with six to play.

The second team, meanwhile, are at the foot of their table having gone to the wire in a number of matches and repeatedly come out worst off. On this occasion, at Gt Yarmouth & Caister, it fell to Frankie Plume of Sprowston Manor to battle it out in an attempt to win a crucial half.

Plume was three down with three to play and successfully won back both the 16th and 17th. The odds of also winning the 18th seemed to be in his favour when his opponent left his first putt four foot short – but it was not to be. The ball was rolled into the hole and Norfolk's hopes were dashed.

However, alongside Plume's gutsy fightback were a number of other encouraging performances which pleased captain Iain Yule. George Morris of Eaton secured both his points for the first time, while Hunstanton's Jason Wysoczanski did extremely well to hold on for a half in the singles. Overall, Norfolk won the singles, 4�- 3�, but had left themselves too much to do after trailing 3-1 in the foursomes.

Results (Norfolk names first), Norfolk 5, Cambridgeshire 7. Foursomes: Jon Baker-Odlin (Sprowston Manor), Luke Johnson (King's Lynn) lost to Toby Crisp, Dave Millburn 2&1; Aaron Bullock (Caldecott Hall), Matt Bacon (Costessey Park) beat Ed Conduit, Steve Jarvis 2 up; Matt Alden (Eaton), Kit Holmes (Hunstanton) beat Chris Nixon, Jason Evans 1 up; Simon Clark (Gt Yarmouth & Caister), Ian Hardy lost to Owen Cousins, James Stammers 3&2. Singles: Johnson beat Jarvis 2&1; Bullock lost to Cousins 4&3; Holmes lost to Millburn 2&1; Hardy lost to Crisp 4&3; Baker-Odlin beat Conduit 1 up; Clarke lost to Evans 2&1; Alden beat Nixon 5&3; Bacon lost to Stammers 2&1.

Norfolk II 5�, Cambridgeshire II 6�, foursomes: Chris White (Hunstanton), Jason Wysoczanski (Hunstanton) lost to James Reeson, Luke Bower 1 down; Steve Tidy (Costessey Park), Jack Yule (King's Lynn) lost to Ollie Bance, John Sharkey 4&2; George Morris (Eaton), Frankie Plume (Sprowston Manor) beat Mark Bloxham, Cam Brown 3&2; Kris Coop (Royal Cromer), Peter Ogden (Caldecott Hall) lost to George Howard, Andy Wool 4&3. Singles: White lost to Bowers 2&1; Wysoczanski halved with Sharkey; Yule beat Brown 4&3; Tidy beat Bloxham 2 up; Morris beat Wool 1 up; Plume lost to Bance 1 down; Coop beat Howard 5&4; Ogden lost to Reeson 5&4.

Anglian League positions: First teams: Northants 8, Cambridgeshire 6, Suffolk 4, Norfolk 4, Lincolnshire 1, Leicestershire & Rutland 1.

Second teams: Lincolnshire 7, Northants 6, Leciestershire & Rutland 4, Cambridgeshire 4, Suffolk 2, Norfolk 1.