Norfolk will go into the Horsford Festival still seeking their first victory of the season after losing by six wickets to Lincolnshire at Cleethorpes. After failing to win one of their four group games in the Minor Counties Trophy - the competition they won last season - the hunt goes on following two of their six championship matches.

Norfolk will go into the Horsford Festival still seeking their first victory of the season after losing by six wickets to Lincolnshire at Cleethorpes.

After failing to win one of their four group games in the Minor Counties Trophy - the competition they won last season - the hunt goes on following two of their six championship matches.

With an overnight lead of just 94 and only four wickets remaining, Norfolk knew they would have to provide continued determined resistance yesterday if they were to present their hosts with any sort of challenge in the fourth innings.

Things began promisingly with the overnight pair of Trevor Ward and Chris Brown batting for almost an hour to push the total past the 300 mark before Brown was out lbw to Wilson for 12 with the score at 308.

Ward then completed his fourth half century for Norfolk with a pull through midwicket for four, and continued to be the mainstay of the innings before being ninth out for a hard hitting 84 with the score on 356.

Norfolk made three more runs before their second innings was ended half an hour before lunch, leaving the home county with the task of making 184 for victory from a minimum of 74 overs.

The target would have been considerably easier had Lincolnshire not conceded 66 extras in the Norfolk second innings and 94 in total for the match.

And it initially seemed as though that generosity might return to haunt them as Norfolk made the perfect start - Ian Slegg having Matthew Dowmann caught behind for a duck off the last ball of the first over.

Having lunched at 12-for-one, Lincs lost their second wicket soon after the restart when Martyn Dobson (13) also fell to a catch by Luke Newton, this time off Martin Addison.

But Norfolk hopes were dashed by a third wicket partnership of 88 between Jonathon Trower and Vikram Atri.

Atri was eventually snapped up by Carl Rogers at slip off off-spinner Brown for 43. But another partnership, this time of 54, for the fourth wicket between Trower and Rob Cook only reinforced the inevitability of Norfolk's impending demise.

Cook was out for 17 to James Spelman (a third catch and sixth of the match for Newton) but Trower continued to 92 not out, fittingly striking the winning blow through mid-wicket.

Missing injured skipper Paul Bradshaw, Norfolk had been up against it since slumping to 90-for-8 on the first morning. They now have 12 days to regroup before the Horsford Festival kicks-off against Staffordshire at Manor Park on Sunday, July 23.

Overnight: Norfolk 143 & 270-6 (Rogers 89, Spelman 77), Lincolnshire 319 (Trower 60, Atri 54).

Norfolk 2nd innings continued

TR Ward c Trower b Airey84

C Brown lbw b Wilson13

IR Slegg lbw b Lucas 1

MA Addison b Airey 1

MP Eccles not out3

Extras (b12 lb15 w7 nb 32)66

Total (108.4 wickets)359

Fall: 1-33 2-193 3-241 4-241 5-263 6-270 7-308 8-321 9-356

Bowling: Lucas 21-5-74-1, Miles 14-4-36-2, Wilson 23-5-61-3, Airey 14.4-1-81-4, Dobson 23-8-46-0, Atri 4-1-11-0, Dowman 9-3-23-0

Lincolnshire 2nd innings

MP Dowman c Newton b Slegg0

MC Dobson c Newton b Addison13

JT Trower not out92

V Atri c Rogers b Brown43

RW Cook c Newton b Spelman17

PG Cook not out10

Extras (lb9 w1)10

Total (4 wkts, 47 overs)185

Fall: 1-0 2-26 3-114 4-168

Bowling: Slegg 11-2-24-1, Addison 6-1-26-1, Brown 17-2-76-1, Eccles 6-0-18-0, Moores 5-1-23-0, Spelman 2-1-9-1.

Lincolnshire (7pts) beat Norfolk (4pts) by six wickets