CRICKET: An unbeaten 23 from veteran tailender John Leney steered Cringleford Lodge to a thrilling one-wicket win over Hales & Loddon A in Norfolk League Division One.

Seventeen runs were needed with the last pair at the wicket but veteran Leney kept his composure, cementing victory with a audacious six off the bowling of Jamie Weston when the scores were level.

A third-wicket partnership of 78 between Richard Wright (40) and Ross Bilham (43) had paved the way for the success as Lodge pursued a 147 victory target.

But Hales kept battling and their hopes were raised when they reduced the hosts to 125 for five off 31 overs with paceman Chris Baker making life difficult for the Lodge batsmen on an unpredictable pitch during a hostile spell which returned three for 24. Outstanding H&L fielding and catching kept the pressure on as wickets tumbled.

The Hales innings had been based around a hard-hit 31 from Aaron Beaumont and a dogged innings from Rob Clemence, who overcame the shock of seeing his new �200-plus bat disentegrate as he kept out a yorker, to score 28. Bilham and Adam Thompson shared six wickets for the hosts.

Hales MoM: Aaron Beaumont for his 31 and two for 22.