Key Alliance game for Thetford

Thetford Town CC have got a key Alliance Division Four game on Saturday when they visit Hardingham, writes Viv Thomas.

They moved up to third place at the weekend after securing a winning draw against Hethersett & Tas Valley A – and Hardingham are just one place higher.

Thetford skipper Liam Conroy, who was close to hitting a century against Valley, will be hoping to keep up his rich vein of form this weekend. “It’s a big game. They are second in the league,” he said.

Reflecting on the Valley match, Conroy said: “It was a close game. We were missing bowlers, we have been all season.”

But he said that there is help on the horizon: “A few will be coming back from uni the weekend after next.

“We are scoring quite a few runs at the moment which is good,” added Conroy, who has scored over 300 runs in five games this season.

Thetford amassed a sizeable total of 258-5, but the visitors showed much lower order resistance, settling for 175-9 in reply – with no real ambition to try and win the game, writes Matt Terry.

Captain Liam Conroy walked on 95 after being caught behind. This knock was ably supported by vice-skipper Mick Piggott, contributing 63 in their second-wicket partnership of 166, taking the hosts to 205-1.

Once these two fell, it was down to the middle order to frantically accumulate as many runs as possible in the last seven overs, a stark contrast to the patient start to the innings, with Ryan Conroy, Simon Lewis, Matt Terry and Darren Newey (21 not out) all contributing.

The final total of 258-5 could have been even more, but for the excellent bowling of Hethersett’s Jack Smith (3-34) at the end.

The visitors’ reply began as the Thetford’s innings ended; a high run rate which wasn’t helped by some loose bowling from the opening bowlers, as they struggled to find a consistent length.

However, the breakthrough came in the eighth over, when the expensive Matt Terry (2-60), had S Hayes caught behind for 11. Another combination of Ryan Conroy and Terry, brought an end to the dangerous R Matthews (34), caught behind.

The momentum still continued to be with Tas, until the introductions of Matt Kerling and captain Conroy. A fantastic example of medium pace, swing bowling shifted the power as Kerling took 4-25.

Conroy (2-15) and Darren Newey (1-9) also contributed very well to leave one wicket left and four overs remaining, in a tense finale.

Thetford unfortunately lacked the cutting edge to kill the game off and were denied victory.