Sudbury taste victory against Swardeston in top-of-the-table EAPL clash
Sudbury (164) emerged victorious over Swardeston (128) in their top-of-the-table clash in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League on Saturday.
Despite missing key players, Sudbury secured their first win over their Norfolk rivals in nine attempts.
Hosts Swardeston had no hesitation in bowling first when they won the toss at The Common, looking to capitalise on some good early bowling conditions.
The league leaders were rewarded in the third over when Keelan Waldock was trapped LBW by Michael Eccles for zero.
This brought Darren Batch in to partner Ben Parker (10), and the pair guided the Talbots up to 30 before Parker fell when he edged to slip.
Kenny Moulton-Day (37), who would be drafted into the Suffolk squad later that evening, then helped Batch lift the score up to 100 before Callum Taylor induced a hook shot from Moulton-Day that found the hands of Eccles at fine-leg.
Tim Johnston was the next man to depart, the first of three consecutive ‘bowled’ dismissals for Taylor. He was quickly followed by Batch (50) when Taylor found a way through his defences.
Dan Poole then shouldered arms to one which nipped back to clip the top of off stump to leave Sudbury on 115-6.
Will Shropshire (11) and James Poulson (17 not out) put up some resistance by sharing an 18-run stand which ended when Shropshire was adjudged lbw.
Dustin Melton struck a breezy 14 to lift the score past the 150 mark and once again, Jonny Gallagher provided some stubborn resistance to allow Poulson to add some vital late innings runs.
Sudbury were dismissed for 164, which looked 20-30 runs short of a good score, given the conditions.
Sudbury knew that early wickets were going to be crucial if they were to defend their total, and thanks to some fantastic seam bowling from Gallagher and Poulson, that is exactly what they got.
Gallagher stuck first when Jordan Taylor edged into the safe hands of Batch at first slip. Poulson then got one to rise and nip off the seam to take Callum Taylor’s glove, eventually nestling in the hands of Moulton-Day behind the stumps.
Jason Reynolds received a near unplayable ball from Gallagher which crashed into off stump and when Poulson flattened Swardeston skipper Joe Gatting’s off stump Sudbury knew the game was there for the taking.
Peter Lambert and Lewis Denmark provided resistance, adding 47 before Batch swung one past Denmark’s bat to bowl him for 12.
Lambert and Jeremy Elliott added 31 quick runs before the returning Gallagher struck Lambert in front to make in 113-7. Two balls later, it was 113-8 when again Gallagher trapped Tom Oxley LBW.
It was left to Poulson to claim the final two wickets to fall, firstly ripping Eccles off stump from the ground and then hitting the pads of youngster Joe Flatt in front of all three to wrap up a superb win for the Talbots.
