Sudbury (140-9) showed some mettle to claim a draw from Saturday's topsy turvy encounter with Read Brothers Ltd East Anglian Premier League leaders Great Witchingham (155).

Stand-in Sudbury captain Paddy Sadler won the toss and chose to bowl in helpful conditions – a decision that looked vindicated when Jonny Gallagher trapped Witchingham captain Sam Arthurton LBW for 4.

James Spelman (83) was the only member of the Witchingham top six to make double figures as Gallagher and Darren Batch bowled exceptionally throughout, rain breaks enabling the pair to bowl the first 28 overs of the innings to share six wickets between them.

Spelman's outstanding knock was ably supported by useful contributions from Charlie Rogers, Peter Trewick and Brett Stolworthy, and while Sadler, James Poulson and Sean Cooper all took a wicket apiece, 155 all out was an excellent recovery from 31-5 and 68-6.

The momentum gained towards the end of their innings was continued by Witchingham when Andy Hanby struck twice in the first over of the Sudbury reply.

The Talbots were soon 15-3 and were indebted to a fantastic innings from overseas professional Rubin Hermann, who made 70 to keep them in the game. Kenny Moulton-Day also chipped in with 24 and at 106-4 Sudbury were in the driving seat.

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Unfortunately for the home side a cluster of middle-order wickets – including both Moulton-Day and Hermann – shifted the game back in Witchingham's favour, and ultimately Sudbury were forced to settle for Sadler and Gallagher surviving a combined 35 balls for the final wicket to secure a draw, finishing 140-9 from their allotted 37 overs.

Elsewhere, second-placed Sawston & Babraham (132-7) were also in involved in a drawn contest during their trip to Frinton-on-Sea (181).

Bowling first, the Rams' George Darlow and Tim Moses both took three wickets apiece as the hosts were dismissed in one ball shy of 42 overs.

In reply, Sawston & Babraham got off to a solid start via openers Matthew Hague (40) and Charlie Lewis (25).

But with wickets starting to fall and the visitors on the back foot, an unbeaten knock of 41 from Waqas Hussain in the middle order helped to ensure Sawston & Babraham came away with eight points.

Meanwhile, Burwell & Exning (63) had an afternoon to forget with the bat, losing by eight wickets to Copdock & Old Ipswichian (64-2).

Skipper Tom Griffiths was Burwell & Exning's top scorer with 12 runs – the only home batsmen to reach double figures.

Mildenhall's trip to Horsford was abandoned because of rain, while Bury St Edmunds were also sidelined because of positive Covid-19 cases within opponents Swardeston's camp.

The division's other fixture saw Cambridge (311-7) rack up the runs during their 50-run victory at Saffron Walden (261).

See how the weekend's results impacted on the league table, click here.

July 17 fixtures

Bury St Edmunds v Copdock & Old Ipswichian

Cambridge v Horsford

Frinton-on-Sea v Burwell & Exning

Great Witchingham v Saffron Walden

Mildenhall v Swardeston

Sawston & Babraham v Sudbury

Read more: All the latest Suffolk sport news