Milton LindsayFRANKLY DIGITAL NORFOLK ALLIANCE: Rob Porter hit a magnificent century as last season's Premier Division runners-up Acle opened their campaign in style, beating Diss by 66 runs. Porter dominated Acle's 229-8 total with a free-flowing 122.Milton Lindsay

Rob Porter hit a magnificent century as last season's Premier Division runners-up Acle opened their campaign in style, beating Diss by 66 runs.

Porter dominated Acle's 229-8 total with a free-flowing 122. Chris Germon was the most effective bowler for Diss taking 4 for 54.

Diss were always struggling to keep up with the asking rate and eventually succumbed for 163, Hugo Nel proving Acle's destroyer-in-chief with 5 for 33.

Reigning champions Downham also enjoyed a comfortable winning start despite not seeing too much action at Lowestoft. Josh Stuart's 6 for 36 haul saw Lowestoft crumble to 128 all out, paving the way for Downham to coast home with seven wickets and plenty of time in hand.

Cromer also hit the ground running beating Norwich and Coltishall Wanderers with five wickets in hand. Richard Charlwood hit an unbeaten 74 as Cromer posted 215-5. Alex Craske had taken the bowling honours with 4 for 9 as Wanderers were dismissed for 213 despite a battling half century 59 from Robert Steward.

North Runcton held their nerve to narrowly beat Brooke with a wicket to spare after being set a 177 victory total.

Rahul Dewal had topscored for Brooke with 62 while Darren Cubitt did the damage with the ball for Runcton taking 5 for 44.

An unbeaten 52 from James Shipley helped Vauxhall Mallards to cruise past Old Buckenham's 121 total with six wickets in hand but at least Bucks' Phil King (5-21) kept them on their toes.

Steve Rowe's depleted Hales, hit by the loss of key players, achieved a morale-boosting result at Stow in their first game at Division One level after four consecutive title successes.

A good all-round team effort saw Hales post 211 in West Norfolk, before Stow, who finished third last season, replied with 185-7 in the drawn encounter.

Topcroft lost a low-scoring affair by seven wickets to Bradfield after managing to muster only 124 runs, of which Chris Hancock contributed 70.

Norfolk League champions Hardingham's first taste of Alliance cricket proved highly palatable as they chalked up Division Four victory against Bungay, with Oliver Howes taking 5 for 44 in the six-wicket success.

The day's run-fest was enjoyed by Brooke A as Paul Daynes added to his vast collection of centuries with 149 and Clive Bennett weighed in with an unbeaten 133 in a mammoth 315-3 total against Stow A.

On a pretty miserable day for bowlers Stow replied with 294-4, Trevor Dyer hitting the third century of the afternoon with 115 and Stuart Royle chipping in with a half century.

Three men dominated proceedings as Cromer A put Norwich and Coltishall Wanderers A to the sword.

Peter Gascoigne hit 83 in Cromer's 196-7 total before team-mates Darren Payne and Paul Winterbone shared all 10 Wanderers wickets. Ayanulela Aqamane at least had the satisfaction of taking five Cromer wickets.

Runs also flowed freely for Hethersett and Tas Valley A as Stephen Hayes (83), Tom Street (53) and David Austin (53) tucked in to post a 305-6 score but Mallards' A fielded the game's centurion, Ben Stone scoring 119 in a 190-7 reply.