Hales CC travelled their shortest distance this season to local rivals Beccles.The outcome was a positive one for Hales as they won by five wickets to go 50 points clear at the top of the Norfolk Alliance Division Two, with just five games left to play.

Hales CC travelled their shortest distance this season to local rivals Beccles.

The outcome was a positive one for Hales as they won by five wickets to go 50 points clear at the top of the Norfolk Alliance Division Two, with just five games left to play.

Hales skipper Rowe won the toss for an unlikely successive time, and with that chose to bowl.

Hales' opening bowlers R.Andersen and G Squire both started well, keeping the score to 15 off the first eight overs.

The first wicket fell in the 9th over as Andersen bowled Turrell for six with a top ball, around about Yorker length.

The next wicket of Rich Porter then fell with the score on 46 in the 18th over, with a somewhat dubious run out by all accounts.

Tight bowling ensued and the Beccles players found it difficult to score runs on a pitch that occasionally gave a variety of bounce.

It took the 26th over from Neilo Pearce to take the third wicket as the struggling Rob Porter hit a leading edge straight to point, with the score at a rather low 57.

Wickets then began falling steadily, as none of the Beccles batsmen really got going and this is shown in extras being the second top scorer, just one behind Rob Porter's 30.

There were two further run outs, two more wickets for Andersen and a couple for Squire despite a rather disjointed second spell.

At the end of the innings, Beccles left Hales needing 146 to secure victory.

The Hales bowlers Lovick and Pearce can take credit for this as both bowled with great accuracy and perhaps were unfortunate to only have one wicket to show between them.

The Hales reply began well, as 56 runs were on the board, before C Andersen (17) was unlucky to be judged L.B.W as the snick-o-meter later showed that the batsman had hit the ball before hitting the pad.

Marty Cornish (26) then also fell in the same over to leave the score on 57 for 2. This let Phil Squire (21) and Dan Andersen (41) enter the crease who put together a 56-run partnership to take the score to 113 before Squire went to a sharp caught and bowled from Fisher.

Andersen followed soon after with a well-crafted 41 as he was bowled with the score on 126.

This gave Beccles a glimmer of hope, Joe Kaye falling quickly as he nicked one behind, but it was John Ramsdale and the skipper who saw Hales along to reach the 146 runs required to seal the win.

The square leg man of the match for a decent 41 goes to Dan Andersen.

Tomorrow Hales play host to second-from-bottom Mundford.