ALLIANCE PREMIER DIVISION: The battle for Norfolk Alliance Premier Division survival will go right to the wire – with three teams in the frame to stay up or go down.

Cromer, Brooke and Stow are in the mix, with only one of them able to beat the drop.

Cromer threw themselves a lifeline by beating Brooke in their relegation crunch game.

Ollie Kimber's 53 proved the mainstay of their 180 total, which saw Brooke's Anglia newsman Jonathan Wills bag five for 43.

Brooke were dismissed for a disappointing 126 in reply, but they have a slender four point advantage over Cromer who remain bottom. Brooke are 11 points behind Stow.

The West Norfolk outfit were bamboozled by the spin of Lowestoft's Peter Sims (4 for 12) as they were skittled out for 48 in a demoralising nine-wicket defeat.

The final games of the campaign next weekend see Brooke travel to runway champions Fakenham while Cromer entertain Norwich and Coltishall Wanderers and Stow are at home to Downham Market.

Meanwhile Sprowston will be hoping to crown an outstanding return season to Norfolk club cricket's top flight by clinching runners-up position.

They travel to Vauxhall Mallards A next weekend while Downham, the only team that can foil them by overhauling a 10-point deficit, are in action at Stow.

Veteran Geoff Roff, a former Norfolk and Essex seconds bowler, kept Sprowston in the driving seat bagging 4 for 5 as Diss were skittled out for 54 in pursuit for a 158 victory target.

Champions Fakenham showed no sign of taking their foot off the pedal as they head for the play-off matches which hold the key to an EAPL return.

Steven Gray hit a brilliant 136 in a sizeable 265 for 4 total. Vauxhall Mallards A's reply was dominated by veteran Steve Goldsmith's 72 as they secured a draw at 214-7.

In a mid-table affair North Runcton's Simon McInerney scored 61 and bagged 4 for 29 in a 10-wicket win over Norwich and Coltishall Wanderers, who were dismissed for a paltry 73.