Copdock & Old Ipswichian played second fiddle to defending champions Swardeston in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League on Saturday, succumbing to a seven-wicket defeat at The Common.

Jaik Mickleburgh top-scored with 63, but his dismissal prompted a flurry of wickets as Copdock were eventually bowled out for 209, with 4.5 overs left unbowled of their allotted 50.

Swardeston easily chased down that target, wrapping up a 12th win of the season in just 28.3 overs to keep the pressure on leaders Sudbury at the top.

Title contenders Swardeston had suffered a shock defeat at the hands of lowly Bury St Edmunds the previous weekend, and for a while it looked as though they might struggle against mid-table Copdock.

All of Copdock’s top six batsmen played themselves in, but it was only Mickleburgh who advanced past 20.

Martyn Cull (19), Alex Oxley (20) and Jack Beaumont (20) all got started, and the Suffolk visitors looked in a fairly strong position at 140 for three, until Mickleburgh’s departure led to the last seven wickets falling for the addition of just 69 runs.

Former Essex batsman Mickleburgh was trapped leg before by Joe Gatting, having accumulated a patient 63 off 82 balls. It was the key moment in the match.

Skipper Tom Rash (19) and Chris Swallow (18) established themselves without managing to contribute a sizeable knock, the innings subsiding to a below-par final total.

Three of Swardeston’s top four batsmen celebrated half-centuries, to ensure a comfortable victory, for the loss of just three wickets.

Opener Jason Reynolds scored 54 off 55 balls, while Callum Taylor plundered a brisk 70 off just 44 deliveries, striking 13 boundaries in the process. This pair put on a match-winning partnership of 106 for the second wicket, after Rash had claimed the early wicket of Peter Lambert (5), caught by wicketkeeper Sam Webb-Snowling.

All-rounder Gatting added a run-a-ball 50 off 50 balls to ensure there was no let-up.

This was Copdock’s seventh defeat of the summer, Cambridge Granta leapfrogging them into fifth spot with Copdock dropping to sixth.