Bury St Edmunds are third in the Read Brothers Ltd East Anglian Premier League standings following Saturday's low-scoring victory at the expense of fellow Suffolk side Copdock & Old Ipswichian.

A score of 135 all out did not seem like it would be enough for the hosts to come out on top, but they ended up winning the Victory Ground contest by 11 runs.

Bury captain Ben Seabrook won the toss and elected to bat on a dry pitch, but he soon found the team were struggling, losing openers Hugh Stanton and Max Whittaker with just 14 runs on the board. Seabrook was next out for just one run, followed by Matt Doran (18) and Josh Cantrell (9), all trapped LBW.

With the score on 42-5, Alfie Marston took the game to the visitors with 17 runs off 21 deliveries but it became a matter of digging in and making runs only when appropriate.

Sean Park and George Loyd battled hard until lunch but with six wickets lost for 75 runs, the game favoured the visitors. Park was out in the early afternoon for 19 off 50 deliveries with the score on 90.

Ben Whittaker added 11 before being Jacob Marston’s fifth catch behind the wicket, but it was the excellent batting of Loyd that steered the home side to a respectable score. He was last out for 39 off 95 balls – a lesson in concentration and good defence. The score of 135 was below what was expected but batting was not easy.

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In terms of the bowling, Matt Wareing followed up his five wickets for Suffolk with 3-10 and Jack Beaumont recorded figures of 2-12.

Copdock started well in reply with 33 runs scored before Josh Cantrell, who had opened the bowling from the Nowton End with spin, had Nico Boje trapped LBW for 12. Ben Clayton was out one run later after he advanced and Cantrell banged the ball in low, allowing Marston to make the stumping. Beaumont soon followed – caught Seabrook via Park – and at 40-3 it was game on.

Just before tea Alex Oxley received an unplayable spinning delivery from Ben Whittaker for 11, leaving the score on 57-4.

Loyd was then given the ball and he bowled both Marston and Donald Miambo to reduce the visitors to 85-6, followed by Josh Cantrell taking his fourth wicket as he ended his 18 overs with 4-46.

Nevertheless, Fergus Atkins (48) was looking like winning the game with just 13 runs needed and still three wickets remaining, but a trio of LBW decisions ended the game with Bury coming out on top.

Elsewhere, second-placed Sawston & Babraham (184-5) remain in pursuit of table-topping Great Witchingham after they recorded a five-wicket home win over Sudbury (181).

Batting first, a handful of the Sudbury batsmen made some solid contributions, but none were able to record a particularly big score.

Alex Quin was the pick of the bunch, scoring a patient 37 from his 112 deliveries, while club captain Darren Batch weighed in with 33.

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James van de Peer and Ben Clilverd both impressed with the ball for the hosts, taking three wickets apiece to help keep Sudbury below the 200-run mark.

In reply, Leicestershire's Rishi Patel spearheaded the Rams' charge to victory with his knock of 69 from 82 balls, which included nine 4s and two 6s. Waqas Hussain also continued his recent return to form with the bat courtesy of his unbeaten 43.

On the Essex coast, Burwell & Exning (105) were unable to chase down Frinton-on-Sea's total of 127 and ended up losing by 22 runs, while Great Witchingham (279-6) remain 11 points clear at the summit following their four-wicket victory against Saffron Walden (276-8).

Cambridge (161-1) made light work of Horsford (160) at the Caldecote Recreation Ground, with the weekend's other scheduled fixture Mildenhall and Swardeston called off because of Covid-19 issues within the hosts' camp.

To see how all of these results impacted on the league table, click here.

EAPL fixtures Saturday, July 24 (11am)

Bury St Edmunds v Mildenhall

Copdock & Old Ipswichian v Frinton-on-Sea

Horsford v Great Witchingham

Saffron Walden v Sawston & Babraham

Sudbury v Burwell & Exning

Swardeston v Cambridge

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