KEITH PEEL Mohammad Wasim took centre stage as Norwich & Coltishall Wanderers injected new life into the Lovewell Blake Norfolk Cricket Alliance Premier Division championship race.

KEITH PEEL

Mohammad Wasim took centre stage as Norwich & Coltishall Wanderers injected new life into the Lovewell Blake Norfolk Cricket Alliance Premier Division championship race. The Pakistan international scored his second successive Alliance century in a 76-run defeat of previously unbeaten leaders Great Witchingham. With five fixtures left, Witchingham are now only 11 points ahead of their August 12 opponents, North Runcton, who won by three wickets against bottom team Beccles to retain their unbeaten record.

Wanderers stay third, but are 32 points - the equivalent of more than a win - behind Witchingham.

Wanderers amassed a daunting 324 for six at Walcis Park, where Wasim followed up his unbeaten 107 against Swardeston with 163, including 21 fours and four sixes.

Ali Ponder (58) and Craig Sweet (46) were the other main contributors.

Witchingham were then bowled out for 248, collapsing from 222 for five after Stephan Le Roux scored 58, skipper Dennis Rogers 50 and Carl Rogers 83 to take his Alliance tally for the season to 1019 and move yet closer to breaking the 1171-run aggregate record he set last summer.

Lawrence DeCoteau scored 75 and Gavin Ewing 48 as Beccles made 183 for four. Peter Coote contributed 36, Ben Allsop 36 and Paul Harwood 32 as Runcton replied with 184 for seven, sealing victory with just three balls to spare.

Only two balls remained when Downham clinched a two-wicket win at Swardeston, who had posted 263 for four, with Robert Ebbage (92 not) and Barney Goodrum (79) putting on 161 for the fourth wicket.

Ashleigh Corbett hit 50, Sam McLeod 50 and Angus Stuart 48 not out in the 267 for eight response.

Swardeston stay second from bottom, now five points behind next opponents Cromer, who lost to Vauxhall Mallards by four wickets.

Colin Brown and Tom Davies scored half centuries for Cromer, with Steve Goldsmith doing likewise for Mallards, while the seasiders' Ravi Pushpakumara was the game's outstanding bowler, taking five for 39.

Terry Perry hit 56 and Dave Cosworth 50 not out for Old Buckenham in their three-wicket defeat of Topcroft, for whom Rob Warburton contributed 74 and Rayno Arendse 63 to a 210-run total.

Brooke moved 26 points clear in Division One with a three-wicket defeat of Acle, who slip from second to third, two points behind Dersingham, who game against Lowestoft was abandoned.

David Adams scored 56 not out and Stuart Mackie 50 as Saxlingham won by six wickets against Diss, for whom Rob Tooke top scored with 43.

Openers Wood (91) and Springer (150 not) featured in a double-century stand as Division Two leaders Saham Toney beat Swardeston A by 125 runs to move 19 points clear of Mattishall, who had a winning draw against Bradenham.

Dereham beat Downham A by seven wickets to take over Division Three top spot by eight points from Sheringham, who lost by 100 runs at East Harling.

Horsford A, who beat Norwich A by nine wickets, stay third, just 16 points behind Dereham.