Darren Batch, Sudbury’s club captain, has lauded the “incredible season” which the Suffolk club have enjoyed in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League this summer.

Sudbury clinched the EAPL title for the first time in the club’s history last weekend, when their match against title rivals Swardeston was abandoned as a wash-out without a ball being bowled.

Sudbury therefore finished 21 points clear at the top of the table, with 16 wins from 22 starts.

“It’s a great achievement,” enthused Suffolk county stalwart Batch.

“It’s been an incredible season, from start to finish.

“We have led from the very first game, and won our first five games. We managed to then keep it going. It’s been an incredible summer.”

While Batch has retained overall captaincy of the club, in terms of coaching at all levels, Tom Huggins has stepped up to first-team skipper this season to help mastermind this historic achievement.

“It’s been a terrific team to captain, because we have always managed to bounce back from a defeat,” explained Huggins.

“The belief was always there, it never left us.”

In addition to winning the league title, Sudbury also lifted the Suffolk Cup the previous weekend, while their 2nd XI won promotion from Division Three of the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship.

- see tomorrow’s ‘East Anglian Daily Times’ for more on Sudbury’s historic success