MICHAEL Comber smashed Sudbury’s bowlers to all parts as he led Clacton to a thrilling two-wicket win in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League on Saturday.

The Essex all-rounder helped himself to 159 not out from just 96 deliveries with 120 coming in boundaries – 15 fours and ten sixes – as the visitors chased down 308 to win at Friars Street with four overs to spare.

Coming in at 52 for three, Comber shared a 113-run stand for the fourth wicket with captain Ben France, who scored 62 before becoming one of Billy Moulton-Day’s four victims.

However, Comber carried on undaunted, scoring 97 of the 144 runs required, although he was indebted to Imran Shekih’s unbeaten 21 from 23 balls in a 78-run alliance for the ninth wicket.

Comber’s innings overshadowed the efforts of Sudbury duo Jay Phillips and Kandage Fernando, who compiled a third-wicket stand of 124.

Phillips scored 101 from 196 balls (15 fours and one six) and Fernando 76 off 105 deliveries (ten fours and two sixes) and Ben Reece added 43 off 27 balls before Sudbury declared on 308 for six.

Shanaka Silva was the only Clacton bowler to take a wicket, claiming 17-2-81-5.

Copdock & Old Ipswichian dropped from second to fourth after they were involved in a high-scoring draw at Burwell, six of the home team’s top seven batsmen scoring at least 33.

Chris Swallow, who had earlier taken three for 53, scored 61 not out off 71 balls as Copdock finished 35 runs short with three wickets intact.

A seventh-wicket partnership of exactly 100 thwarted Bury St Edmunds as they slipped to a four-wicket loss at Vauxhall Mallards.

The visitors recovered from 35 for four thanks to Justin Bishop (87) and Tom Rash (64) adding 140 for the fifth wicket to close on 253 for nine.

Bury sensed victory when Mallards were reduced to 154 for six, but Alistair Shearer (48 not out) and Paul Bradshaw (46 not out) paced their partnership to perfection as victory came with five balls remaining.

Halstead remain without a win after losing by eight wickets at Horsford.

Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League

*Burwell 261 for 7 in 66 overs (P Summerskill 54, H James 47, D Jones 47, P Richer 33, W Lawton 33, C Swallow 3 for 53, T Jenkin 3 for 61). Copdock & Old Ipswichian 227 for 7 in 56 overs (C Swallow 61no, C Viljoen 43, J Cawkwell 31, H Thomas 23, K toner 4 for 33). Burwell (10pts) drew with Copdock & Old Ipswichian (10pts).

Saffron Walden 238 for 9 in 66 overs (G Ecclestone 125, J Barrs 31, A Gale 20). *Cambridge Granta 188 for 6 in 54 overs (A Fullarton 52, C Park 50, J Cowan 23). Cambridge Granta (9pts) drew with Saffron Walden (12pts).

*Great Witchingham 211 in 60.3 overs (W Lonsdale 49, S Arthurton 40, Jon Spelman 28no, G Walker 4 for 46). Swardeston 158 in 50.3 (G Walker 50, S Gray 21, Jon Spelman 5 for 27, James Spelman 4 for 40). Great Witchingham (30pts) bt Swardeston (6pts) by 92 runs.

Halstead 122 in 59.2 overs (M Johnson 40, C Brown 3 for 9, L Caswell 3 for 37). *Horsford 122 for 2 in 22.3 overs (C Sabburg 73 no, J Wild 29). Horsford (25pts) bt Halstead (1pt) by 8 wkts.

*Sudbury 308 for 6 in 65.4 overs (J Phillips 101, H Fernando 76, B Reece 43, P Siegert 30, S Silva 5 for 81). Clacton 309 for 8 in 50 overs (M Comber 159no, B France 62, I Sheikh 21no, B Moulton-Day 4 for 83). Clacton (25pts) bt Sudbury (13pts) by 2 wkts.

Bury St Edmunds 253 for 9 in 66 overs (J Bishop 87, T Rash 64, M Nunn 30no, P Bradshaw 3 for 50). *Vauxhall Mallards 254 for 6 in 53.1 overs (M Platter 55, C Amos 51, A Shearer 48no, P Bradshaw 46no, C Schoeman 27, A Jhunjhunwala 4 for 58). Vauxhall Mallards (25pts) bt Bury St Edmunds (9pts) by 4 wkts.

*Denotes home team