KEITH PEEL Great Witchingham cricketers are gearing up for two big decision days. Dennis Rogers' team clinched the Lovewell Blake Norfolk Alliance Premier Division title for the second time in three seasons on Saturday, with a winning draw at Beccles.

KEITH PEEL

Great Witchingham cricketers are gearing up for two big decision days. Dennis Rogers' team clinched the Lovewell Blake Norfolk Alliance Premier Division title for the second time in three seasons on Saturday, with a winning draw at Beccles.

Now they will go head-to-head with Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League bottom team Mildenhall in a promotion/relegation play-off on Saturday, September 9, at Wamil Way.

If they win that, Witchingham's players must decide whether they do, in fact, want to commit to the EAPL's earlier starts and longer journeys.

“It's much more of a time commitment than the Alliance and we would have to look at who from the current side wants to give the EAPL a crack and who would want to drop down and play in the second team,” said Rogers.

“We've already had quite a few discussions and there are three or four who won't be playing in the EAPL next year if we do move up, but we have got time to recruit new players and the club does want to play at the highest level it can.

“The only worry would be whether Norfolk has enough players to cover six teams at that level, but the five in there seem to be coping and I'm sure there are currently players at other clubs who would like to give it a go.

“If we went up, it would give good Norfolk youngsters the chance to come to somewhere where they can also try their hand at EAPL cricket.”

Carl Rogers scored 47 for Witchingham at Beccles, taking his record-breaking Alliance run tally for the season to 1436.

Runners-up Norwich & Coltishall Wanderers completed their campaign with a three-wicket win at Topcroft, which leaves the latter two points behind Beccles in second from bottom place, and reliant on Witchingham moving up if they are to escape relegation.

Swardeston, who will go definitely down after coming bottom, lost by 64 runs to Vauxhall Mallards, for whom Peter Free scored 95 and Lonwabo Tsubsube took five for 42.

Third-placed North Runcton had a losing draw with Downham Town, while Cromer skittled out Old Buckenham for 61 in beating them by 163 runs, with Chris Carey scoring 53 and then snapping up six wickets for a mere 12 runs.

Stuart Pritty scored 59 and John Habershon took five wickets for nine runs as Brooke clinched the Division One title with a 115-run defeat of Stow.

Runners-up Acle won by 20 runs against third-placed Dersingham.

Coastal neighbours Kirkley and Lowestoft finished in the bottom two places.

Mattishall clinched the Division Two title with a winning draw against Swardeston A, while Saham Toney snatched the other promotion place when they beat Fakenham by 10 wickets and rivals Hunstanton lost at Bradfield by nine wickets.

Fakenham finished bottom and Swardeston second from bottom.

Dereham and Horsford A will step up from Division Three after they had an equal score draw in their final fixture, with respective scores of 166 for seven and 166 for nine.

That left Dereham top and Horsford in second place, a point ahead of Sheringham, who had already completed their programme. Norwich A finished bottom.