Frinton beat Bury by 10 wickets to close in on EAPL title

Jaik Mickleburgh, who hit 54 not out in a 10-wicket win for EAPL leaders Frinton over Bury St Edmunds. (Image: Archant)

Michael Comber's men moved 26 points clear at the top, following a comfortable victory over Bury St Edmunds by 10 wickets at Ashlyns Road on Saturday.

They were also helped by Sudbury, the defending champions, suffering a heavy home defeat by 222 runs at the hands of Swardeston. As a result, Swardeston have leapfrogged 2017 and 2018 champions Sudbury into second spot.

Sudbury are a distant 43 points adrift of Frinton, and so have seen their hopes of securing a hat-trick of titles disappear.

Frinton have two fixtures left, away at Mildenhall this Saturday followed by a home game against Cambridge on the final day.

A 25-point win from either game will wrap up the title, regardless of how Swardeston perform against Saffron Walden and at Horsford in their final two games.

Sudbury's last two matches are Suffolk derbies, away at Bury St Edmunds this Saturday followed by a home game with Mildenhall.

FRINTON dismissed BURY ST EDMUNDS for 143 off 45 overs to take control of Saturday's clash.

There were three wickets each for Kyran Young (8-2-19-3), Blaine Bannister (8-0-21-3) and Sri Lankan spinner Dulanjala Mendis (10-3-25-3).

South African youngster Daniel Moriarty was the only Bury batsman to get past 30. Moriarty was marooned on 46 not out as he eventually ran out of partners, the visitors losing their last five wickets for 32 runs.

There was never any doubt about the result, during Frinton's impressive reply. They sped along to 146 for no wicket off 23.3 overs, so winning with 10 wickets and 26.3 overs in hand.

Michael Griggs struck 90 not out off 78 balls, with two sixes and 13 fours, while Jaik Mickleburgh eased to an unbeaten 54 off 63 deliveries.

Over at SUDBURY, the hosts lost a vital top-three clash at the hands of Swardeston, who won the toss and elected to bat - even skipper Joe Gatting could not have expected his side to rattle up nearly 400 runs off their 50 overs, but they did just that with a formidable 396 for five.

Jordan Taylor hit 34 off just 48 balls before fellow opener Callum Taylor and Alfie Cooper took centre stage with a swift 145-run partnership for the second wicket.

Callum Taylor smashed 116 off 95 balls, with four sixes and 12 fours, having reached his ton off 81 balls, while Cooper struck 61 (66 balls) before he went the same way as Jordan Taylor, caught by Patrick Sadler off Tom Huggins.

But there was no let-up for Sudbury, who were then on the wrong end of a whirlwind century from skipper Gatting.

The hard-hitting Gatting, a former Sussex and Hampshire batsman and the nephew of former England captain Mike Gatting, raced to 100 off just 53 balls, with six sixes and 10 fours.

Gatting dominated a 109-run stand with Lewis Denmark (28 not out) for the fifth wicket.

It was always going to be a near-impossible task to chase down a target of 397 for victory, and Sudbury's cause was made doubly difficult by the loss of Tom Huggins to the first ball of their reply, trapped leg before by Callum Taylor.

The Suffolk side never really recovered, sliding to 174 all out off 23.1 overs. Skipper Adam Mansfield was bowled by Toby Duncan for 15, to leave the score on 27 for three, and the only resistance came from Darren Batch (36) and Kenny Moulton-Day (45 off 20 balls).

COPDOCK & OLD IPSWICHIAN were pipped by just three runs after the Duckworth Lewis System was called into action in their match at Great Witchingham.

The Norfolk hosts made 269 for nine off their 50 overs, aided by an excellent opening partnership of 163 between Jack Boyle (116) and Sam Groves (66). Boyle reached his ton off 121 balls before he became one of Ben Claydon's three victims (three for 62). Claydon's new-ball partner Matt Hunn was the pick of Copdock's bowlers with figures of 10-3-36-2.

Despite losing Alex Oxley cheaply, Copdock made reasonable progress with Claydon (a rapid 35) and Jacob Marston (a patient 41) putting on 48 for the second wicket. But Peter Trewick then took three quickfire wickets to leave the visitors on 69 for four.

Copdock's rain interrupted reply saw them need a total of 224 from 40 overs, and skipper Chris Swallow almost saw them home.

Swallow struck an unbeaten 83 off 78 balls, with a couple of sixes and 10 fours. He had Hunn (10no) for company at the end, but Copdock finished agonisingly short of their target on 221 for seven off the 40 overs.

Meanwhile, MILDENHALL'S difficult season continued with a defeat at Burwell & Exning by 38 runs in a clash of bottom three teams - basement dwellers Vauxhall Mallards are folding as a club at the end of this season.

Skipper Joseph Tetley chalked up a century to guide his team to a big total of 301 for nine off 50 overs. Tom Rash claimed an early scalp by having opener Anthony Moor dismissed for a second-ball duck, caught by wicketkeeper Ed Finnis, and fellow opener Manish Burman followed soon afterwards.

However, a 99-run stand for the third wicket between Tetley and Andrew Bramley (66) put Mildenhall on the back foot, and the pendulum swung further in the home side's direction by a 70-run partnership between Tetley and Tim Catley (33) for the fourth wicket.

Rash took three for 54, off his 10 overs, while veteran spinner Murtaza Hussain was his usual tidy self with figures of 10-1-35-2.

Mildenhall were soon struggling on 35 for four in their reply, thanks to two wickets apiece from Maddox Colby and Bramley.

They were briefly held up by 50 from Ben Shepperson, but his dismissal and then a first-ball duck for Jack Loveday left the visitors on 122 for seven.

Hussain (67 off 74 balls) and No.9 Hugo Douglas (64 off 54 balls) put on 123 for the eighth wicket, before Mildenhall were bowled out for 263 in the 46th over.