Bury St Edmunds remain deep in relegation trouble, after subsiding to a home defeat at the hands of Vauxhall Mallards by 84 runs on Saturday.

Bury had spent most of this summer on the bottom rung of the East Anglian Premier League, until stringing together back-to-back wins over Swardeston and Burwell in their previous two outings, only their second and third wins of the whole season.

However, Sean Park’s men faltered against a strong Mallards side at the Victory Ground, although they still remain a slender three points clear of bottom club Horsford, who narrowly lost by 14 runs at high-flying Cambridge Granta.

Bury’s final two fixtures are away at Norwich, and at home to Cambridge Granta, while Horsford have a tough home fixture against league leaders Sudbury and a final day trip to third-placed Gt Witchingham.

Bury won the toss and fielded on Saturday, but Mallards were soon in the driving seat as openers Ben France (67) and Mitchell Todd (42) put on 135 for the first wicket. France struck two sixes and nine fours in his typically dominant knock.

In fact, Mallards’ top four batsmen all enjoyed themselves. Luke Caswell made 50 and John Ewart a run-a-ball 57 to help the visitors along to 259 for five off their 50 overs.

Skipper Park bowled tightly, his nine overs costing just 38, while West Indian all-rounder Daron Cruickshank took two for 36 off nine overs.

In reply, Bury lost the early wicket of Dominic Manthorpe (6), who was trapped leg before by France, and fellow opener Ben Curran (15) also failed to provide a good foundation as the hosts slipped to 25 for two.

There were no sizeable partnerships throughout Bury’s disappointing reply. The key wicket of Cruickshank (16) fell with the score on 59, and Park (13) was the fourth wicket to fall, bowled by Paul Bradshaw to leave Bury on 78 for four.

The biggest stand was only 33, between Alfie Marston (18) and Josh Cantrell (21) for the sixth wicket.

Bradshaw ended with figures of 6-0-17-2 but the wickets were spread around as Bury were eventually bowled out for 175 at the end of the 42nd over, although they did at least manage to scramble a fourth bonus point.