It was a tough weekend for Beccles Town, losing their Alliance Division Two game and being knocked out of the Carter Cup.They travelled to Dereham on Saturday and lost the Alliance encounter by 56 runs.

It was a tough weekend for Beccles Town, losing their Alliance Division Two game and being knocked out of the Carter Cup.

They travelled to Dereham on Saturday and lost the Alliance encounter by 56 runs.

Beccles won the toss and elected to bowl. Openers David Turrell and Daniel Vihm bowled very economically with only 25 runs coming from the first 12 overs. However, both bowlers were wicket-less after their initial spells.

Josh Aldridge came on first change without success, it was not until the fourth over of second change bowler Ben Etteridge that Beccles made the breakthrough. Etteridge bowled R Forder, who had never looked comfortable at the crease, for 13.

Leg spinner David George dismissed D Hewitt (45) in his first over and despite the odd loose delivery bowled his best spell of the season by far. Etteridge struck on two further occasions (T Wallace 29 and J Marczewski 6) during his spell of 12 overs and it was left to openers David Turrell and Daniel Vihm to clean up the tail.

The pair achieved combined figures of 22-6-50-5 and only conceded 25 runs from the last nine overs. Beccles Town need to learn to apply the same pressure in the middle of the innings. Dereham ended their innings all out for 191.

In reply, Beccles Town endured a shaky start although Richard Turrell looked in confident form. However, none of the Beccles top order were able to support him in establishing a solid partnership.

Robert Porter (5) and Daniel Vihm (0) were adjudged lbw and Richard Porter (5) and Alex Sydenham (2) were both caught behind by wicket-keeper Burrage off the bowling of K Fletcher and G Starling respectively.

This left the score precariously balanced on 69-4. Brothers Richard Turrell (45) and David Turrell (0) fell in the same over and despite the best efforts of Peter Anderson and Josh Aldridge putting on 28 runs for the seventh wicket, there was no other Beccles tailend batsmen to offer significant resistance once Anderson had been dismissed for a gutsy 25. Beccles Town were disappointingly bowled out for 135.

The side need to show some steel and bounce back against Garboldisham at Beef Meadow tomorrow (1pm start).

Beccles were knocked out of the Carter Cup at the weekend. There was an early finish at Lowestoft, where the hosts cruised to a nine-wicket win over Beccles.

Beccles crawled to 122 for nine from their 60 overs, with three wickets each for Matt Reid and Peter Sims. Sammy-Joe Avontuur then smashed 66no and Nathan Garrod made 32no as Lowestoft reached their target in just the 19th over.