This weekend sees an exciting start to the local cricket season with the commencement of the Norfolk Cricket Alliance and also on Sunday the 1st Round of the revamped Carter/NACO Cup competition.
The two organisations have during the winter combined to ensure competitive Sunday knock out cricket in Norfolk continues to be played. In his remarks at the competitions launch Robert Carter of the R G Carter Group gave a brief history of the competition now commencing its 47th year and predicted exciting times ahead for the new format and the progress of Norfolk cricket in general. He believed that there was a need for both competitions to join forces and considered in by doing so that Sunday knock out cricket would be strengthened by the merger of the Carter & Norfolk Association of Cricket Officials competitions.
The Carter Cup will still be played in its 60 over format with the 1st round losers going into the Carter NACO Cup and the winners remaining in the Carter Cup for 2016 but the downside of the losers final will mean that the losers are relegated into the Lady Mary Trophy for the 2016 season. The interest in the new format has been welcomed by the local clubs and has refreshed the competition into a more competitive format, taking away previous mismatches and hopefully providing more intense games.
The first round draw for the Carter Cup kept the 5 EAPL clubs apart and paired together Downham Town and Fakenham the winners and runners up in the Alliance Premier 2014.
Last season’s winners Horsford have been drawn away to Tom Davies’ Cromer whilst the draw also produced two Alliance Premier clashes in Downham versus Fakenham and Diss being drawn at home to Luke Caswells’ Ashmanaugh & Barton Wanderers.
An East Norfolk Derby pairs Lowestoft from the Alliance One at home to newly promoted Brooke and the Norwich derby between Norwich and Sprowston should also prove to be a fascinating game.
The organising committee consisting of members of both organisations have worked diligently throughout the winter months to bring the competitions together and are now hoping the balmy April weather runs over into early May and are eagerly looking forward to the 1st round starting.
CARTER CUP 1ST ROUND 3 MAY 2015 PLUS UMPIRES
A Diss v Ashmanhaugh & Barton Wanders Poole Dunger
B Cromer v Horsford Kercher Lovick
C Great Witchingham v Old Buckenham Spenceley Bidle
D Downham v Fakenham Tythcott Toombs
E Swardeston v Stow Bird Bowman
F Lowestoft v Brooke Knights Coe
G North Runcton v Vauxhall Mallards Palmer Hansell
H Norwich v Sprowston Gates Mann