Topcroft CC kept up their good start to their Sunday League campaign with a comfortable 71-run win over Belton.Topcroft's young side lost a couple of early wickets but U15 players Harry Windridge (20) and James Nolan (13) and sixteen-year-old Ben Harris (23) set a solid foundation.

TOPCROFT A lost by six wickets to Beccles A in Alliance Six.

A reduced game of 40 overs per side took account of the conditions.

It is great credit to both teams that the game was concluded in an excellent spirit and a willingness to play.

Topcroft were invited to bat first and were under immediate pressure and had lost three wickets when an unfortunate bounce took the ball into wicketkeeper Thorpe's temple which meant Beccles were down to 10 men as he was taken to hospital.

Topcroft were in trouble with the score at 39-4 in the 18th over. Woodcock and Razzaq started to re-build but when Keely dismissed the latter they were still in trouble at 62-5 with 16 overs remaining. Woodcock opened up and with good support from Bemment took the score to 95 but with the re-introduction of Wright was bowled for 34. Warnes earned a sharp stumping and Ross and Hunter finished the innings on 119 in the 38th over.

Thorpe returned from A and E to open the Beccles reply with Hunter but quickly followed his partner back to the pavilion in the fourth over with the score on 7-2. The reply reached 55 in the 14th over but fell away to 59-4 and Topcroft knew that if they could take the wicket of either Warnes or Clarke the game would swing their way.

With Woodcock and Taylor bowling seven maidens out of eight overs, it was evident that the Beccles pair were curbing their natural aggression to preserve their wickets. In the 24th over with the score on 70, Clarke received his first loose ball and despatched it to the boundary. More soon followed as Beccles took control and when the winning runs arrived in the 30th over, Warnes was undefeated on 26 and Clarke on 41.

An important win for Beccles, who must now pick up as many points as possible in a run of difficult games.

Bob Knights Family Butcher MoM: Andrew Clarke.

Topcroft A: O Dearling lbw Ross 16, J Rhodes lbw Wright 1, J Baldwin c Ross b Hunter 9, D Alexander c-b Hunter 2, V Razzaq b Keely 6, G Woodcock b Wright 34, J Bemment st Warnes b Keely 10, C Mattocks b Hunter 6, H Taylor b Wright 3, T Mattocks c Keely b Ross 0, I Holmes not out 0; extras 30. Total 119. Bowling: A Wright 9.2-2-24-3, O Keely 10-2-41-2, K Ross 9-2-21-2, T Hunter 8-2-17-3, M Wilson 2-0-4-0.

Beccles A: P Thorpe b Baldwin 2, T Hunter c Holmes b Razzaq 1, K Ross c Taylor b C Mattocks 32, K Bale c-b C Mattocks 11, N Warnes not out 26, A Clarke not out 41; extras 7. Total (4 wkts) 120. Bowling: V Razzaq 6.2-0-31-1, J Baldwin 5-0-30-1, C Mattocks 4-0-13-2, G Woodcock 9-5-25-0, H Taylor 5-2-21-0.

Topcroft CC kept up their good start to their Sunday League campaign with a comfortable 71-run win over Belton.

Topcroft's young side lost a couple of early wickets but U15 players Harry Windridge (20) and James Nolan (13) and sixteen-year-old Ben Harris (23) set a solid foundation. Another U15, Tim Alexander (39), then put on an impressive partnership of 90 with Abram Ndhlovu (69no) before a quick knock from David Reeder (21no) in the last few overs took Topcroft over the 200 mark. Topcroft finished on 202-6.

Topcroft's young attack kept the scoring rate down throughout the 40 overs. James Nolan and Robin Pearson both bowled impressive spells but it was Ben Harris that was the pick, taking

5-35 from his 10 oversas Belton struggled to just 131-7. This week Topcroft are away to Cromer.

Topcroft: I Todd b Moar 0, H Windridge b Ali 20, B Harris b White 23, C Barber b White 0, J Nolan c Moar b White 13, T Alexander c Ashling b Bareham 39, A Ndhlovu not out 69, D Reeder not out 21; extras 17. Total (6 wkts) 202. Bowling: G Moar 10-2-39-1, S Ali 10-4-43-1, P White 10-0-41-3, H Chanchalani 7-0-43-0, D Bareham 3-0-26-1.

Belton: A Savoury b Harris 59, R Ashling b Alexander 7, C Savoury st Twyman b Harris 25, S Ali c Windridge b Harris 8, P White b Harris 2, H Chanchalani c Nolan b Harris 2, G Moar b Reeder 7, W Ladmore not out 7, G Savoury not out 5; extras 9. Total (7 wkts) 131. Bowling: M Kingston 5-0-24-0, T Alexander 5-2-13-1, J Nolan 5-2-14-0, R Pearson 6-3-10-0, B Harris 10-0-35-5, I Todd 4-1-17-0, D Reeder 5-0-14-1.