Still hurting from their narrow loss the previous week, Fakenham bounced back with an emphatic win at North Runcton to end the first half of Norfolk Alliance Premier Division season on a high note.

Lloyd Marshall was bowling again after spraining his ankle in the last rugby game of the season, Harry Blackiston replaced Harrison Futter and Keegan Monahan-Fairlie stepped up to captain the side for the rest of the season.

North Runcton won the toss and elected to bat first, with only 24 coming from the first 10 overs. The breakthrough came when Robinson gave a catch to keeper James Havers off Tom White to be dismissed for 17.

A change at the other end, with Dave Coyle replacing Marshall, immediately brought a result, with Havers stumping Freeman for one.

Crisp was soon out lbw to Coyle for six and a run later Skipper was back in the pavilion for 23, another lbw victim for Coyle. Rawlings then gave a catch to captain Monahan-Fairlie to become Coyle’s fourth victim and at 50-5 and it was not looking good for North Runcton.

The score advanced to 72 before Lankfer gave a catch to Matthews to become Coyle’s fifth victim. Six runs later and Major (4) had added to Coyle’s haul by giving a catch to Will Dunger.

The partnership of Coote and B Skipper then added 35 runs for the next wicket before a magic moment for the visitors.

It has to be said that Fakenham’s fielding was excellent throughout but Coote’s dismissal for 40 off Yin Lo was a joy to behold, a good hit to Harry Blackiston at deep mid-on being brilliantly taken, and Runcton were soon all out for 126 in 46.1 overs.

Monahan-Fairlie and Harry Bammant brought 40 up in the fifth over before Monahan-Fairlie was stumped off Mason for 16. Tom Yarham joined Bammant and they added an entertaining 58 before Yarham was bowled for 12 by Annakin. Fakenham had passed 100 by then and Blackiston kept Bammant company as he swept serenely on to 72 not out to seal the win, including two glorious sixes off successive balls.

Bammant won his second successive Cooke’s of Fakenham man-of-the-match award, although it was a close run thing with Coyle.

Fakenham are away again on Saturday, at fourth placed Downham Market (1pm).