COPDOCK & Old Ipswichian continued their superb start to their first season in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League on Saturday.

The Suffolk side thumped Essex rivals Halstead by 118 runs at Star Stile to move back up to second place in the table.

Halstead actually won the toss and inserted Copdock, who cruised to 275 for one before declaring.

Adrian Nel struck ten fours off just 48 deliveries before falling for 50, but that only served to bring together Archie Gravell and Martyn Cull, whose undefeated second-wicket stand totalled 204.

Gravell’s 110 occupied 147 balls and contained 14 fours while Cull, who joined Copdock from Clacton in the winter, faced 150 balls and found the boundary 13 times.

Opener Neale Dakin (33), skipper Tom Philp (31) and Sam Walter (27) offered the only real resistance as Halstead were swept aside for 157, James East claiming 16-8-23-5 and Christi Viljoen 15-2-40-4.

George Brown (51) and South African all-rounder Stefan Gericke (91 not out) shared a fourth-wicket stand of 100 as Clacton drew at Cambridge Granta.

Clacton captain Ben France bagged four for 66 in Granta’s 234 for six, before the Essex side closed on 201 for seven.

Sudbury’s last pair hung on for a draw at Great Witchingham, after their hosts posted 284 for four. Hasantha Fernando (61) and Darren Batch (47) plus 34 from No.9 Billy Moulton-Day provided the backbone of Sudbury’s reply.

Bury St Edmunds’ woes continued as they lost by 162 runs at Burwell, who as a result recorded their first success of the season.

Justin Bishop (18-6-54-4) was the pick of the Bury bowlers as Burwell racked up 287 for nine, and he then top-scored with 38 as Bury slid to 125 all out in 38 overs.

Bury have dropped two places to second-from-bottom – just six points ahead of basement dwellers Halstead.

Norfolk wicket-keeper Stephen Gray’s undefeated 114 led Swardeston to a four-wicket win at Horsford.

Paul Bradshaw’s unbeaten 73 off 122 balls and Stuart Lipshaw’s nine off 76 deliveries, enabled Vauxhall Mallards, who were 111 for eight, to escape with a draw at home to Saffron Walden, after being set 268 to win.

Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier Cricket League scoreboard

*Burwell 287 for 9 in 66 overs (W Lawton 45no, K Toner 43, A Huckle 37, P Richer 34, C Summerskill 22, J Bishop 4 for 54). Bury St Edmunds 125 in 38 overs (J Bishop 38, S Rees 23, T Rash 21no, M Richards 5 for 51). Burwell (30pts) bt Bury St Edmunds (4pts) by 112 runs.

*Cambridge Granta 234 for 6 in 66 overs (C Park 76, R Woolley 63no, S Park 42, B France 4 for 66). Clacton 201 for 7 in 54 overs (S Gericke 91no, G Brown 51, R Woolley 3 for 44). Cambridge Granta (10pts) drew with Clacton (9pts).

Copdock & OI 275 for 1 in 57.2 overs (A Gravell 110no, M Cull 100no, A Nel 50). *Halstead 157 in 57 overs (N Dakin 33, T Philp 31, James East 5 for 23, C Viljoen 4 for 40). Copdock & OI (30pts) bt Halstead (1pt) by 118 runs.

*Great Witchingham 284 for 4 in 63 overs (Sam Arthurton 89no, J Spelman 73, C Rogers 59, Shaun Arthurton 42no). Sudbury 238 for 9 in 58 overs (K Fernando 61, D Batch 47, B Moulton-Day 34, N Poole 24, W Shropshire 22, C Kyangungu 20, J Hale 4 for 79). Great Witchingham (17pts) drew with Sudbury (9pts).

*Horsford 214 for 9 in 66 overs (C Sabburg 61, J Mickleburgh 38, L Caswell 38, M Spenceley 30, M Warnes 21, M Eccles 3 for 51). Swardeston 215 for 6 in 53.5 overs (S Gray 114no, P Lambert 44, C Brown 3 for 65). Swardeston (25pts) bt Horsford (9pts) by 4 wkts.

Saffron Walden 267 in 64.5 overs (G Batticciotto 87, A Laws 55, S Parmenter 51, J Sneath 29, C Schoeman 4 for 61, S Lipshaw 3 for 66). *Vauxhall Mallards 172 for 9 in 63 overs (P Bradshaw 73no, C Amos 37, T Smith 3 for 14, G Batticciotto 3 for 46). Vauxhall Mallards (9pts) drew with Saffron Walden (15pts).

*Denotes home team.