Bury St Edmunds have their fate in their own hands, going into the final weekend of the season, after benefiting from the wet weather to secure a precious victory away at Norwich last Saturday.

Sean Park’s Bury side, who have spent virtually the whole summer on the basement of the East Anglian Premier League, are now nursing a 21-point advantage over bottom club Horsford, with one round of fixtures remaining.

Norwich totalled 191 for nine off their 50 overs, pegged back by Bury’s spinners, with Daron Cruickshank claiming figures of 10-1-46-5.

Bury lost both their openers very cheaply in their reply, but had recovered to 60 for two off 12 overs when the rain arrived.

Fortunately, the Suffolk visitors had got their noses in front, on the Duckworth Lewis Method, so when no more play as possible, due to a soaked outfield, Bury were awarded the victory by 11 runs – the DLS par score for 12 overs, and with two wickets lost, is 48 runs.

Skipper Park (18 not out, off 19 balls) and West Indian all-rounder Cruickshank (29no, off 28 balls) were at the crease during the vital last half-hour to give Bury a better-than-even chance of yet again escaping from the clutches of relegation.

“It’s in our hands, which is all you can ask, especially when looking back to where we were only a few weeks ago,” explained skipper Park.

“It could have been wrapped up on the day, with Horsford at one stage struggling on 49 for six (against Sudbury), but they managed to recover to get a couple of batting points.

“We still need another five points to be safe, and that won’t be easy playing against a strong Cambridge Granta team. That would mean scoring more than 200, or bowling them out.

“So we still have a lot to do, although a day’s rain in Bury on Saturday, with both teams picking up seven points, would suit us just fine!” added Park.

Will O‘Donnell top-scored with 81 in Norwich’s total of 191, but it was Park and Cruickshank who ended up scoring the crucial runs in a tense encounter.

“We could see that the rain was coming,” said Park. “We were 14 for two off five overs, when Daron and I came together. We couldn’t afford to lose another wicket, so they were a nervous 12 overs. Another wicket would have left us three runs behind.”