Cruel defeat as single does for Beds

It was a game Bedfordshire lost rather than Norfolk won because with nine balls left they needed just three runs with three wickets left. Somehow they contrived to lose all three for one more run.

Having been set to score 280, Beds got off to a poor start, losing James Kettleborough for a duck and George Thurstance for 13, but a wonderful partnership between Steve Stubbings and Oliver Swann saw them comfortably placed at 165-2 at tea.

As so often happens though, the interval brought a lapse in concentration and Stubbings was out immediately afterwards for 95 and Oliver Clayson quickly followed him to the pavilion.

Swann went on to make 84 before he was caught with the score on 211-5 which became 220-6 when David Hartley skied a simple catch.

Martin Weightman was in good form though and with time and no real problems he and Ziggy Arshad advanced the score to 243 before Arshad was caught in the deep.

Chris Esh then joined Weightman and they seemed to have the game won for Bedfordshire with easy singles, quickly taken twos and the odd boundary.

Then things fell apart. Esh went for 25, Colin Griggs ran himself out and when Weightman got an edge on to a pad Norfolk keeper Steve Gray took a brilliant catch diving forward - all in the space of five balls.

That Norfolk were able to set as many as 280 was all due to a brilliant innings by veteran opener Carl Rogers. He batted right through the second innings before being last man out for 172.

Defeat was particularly cruel on Beds’ tireless pace bowler Andy McGarry who took 6-107 in the second innings having taken 5-28 in the first as Norfolk were bowled out for 152. In all he bowled 57 overs in the match.

Beds had established a first innings lead of 81 thanks to good knocks from Weightman (46), Kettleborough (42) and Esh (37). The county have two games left to improve their position in the table starting this weekend at Old Hill where they take on Staffordshire.