Frinton-on-Sea top the table, after three matches in this season’s East Anglian Premier League season, following a run-affected third round of matches on Saturday.

The Suffolk derby, between Copdock & Old Ipswichian and Bury St Edmunds, was abandoned due to rain, much to the frustration of the visitors in particular, while defending champions Sudbury’s home fixture against Vauxhall Mallards was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Mildenhall’s match at Swardeston did reach a positive conclusion, although the West Suffolk club suffered their third defeat on the spin to prop up the table.

But at the other end of the table, FRINTON-ON-SEA celebrated a third win on the spin, after beating Burwell & Exning by 50 runs at Ashlyns Road.

Not surprisingly, when Burwell captain Joseph Tetley won the toss, he decided to field first on what was set to be a rain-affected day.

In an innings reduced from 50 to 43 overs, Frinton posted a challenging total of 225 for five, after openers Michael Griggs (45 off 51 balls) and Tom Sinclair (21) had put on 58 for the first wicket.

Former skipper Kyran Young was dismissed first ball, bowled by Jamie Seabrook, to leave the Essex hosts on 53 for two, and Griggs was bowled by Josh Arksey with the score on 84.

However, Blaine Bannister and Ashley Watson then shared what proved to be a match-winning partnership of 110 for the fifth wicket.

This duo took the score past the 100-mark in the 25th over, and they proceeded to celebrate a century partnership off just 112 balls to put Frinton in the driving seat.

A hard-hitting Bannister finished on 79 not out, with one six and eight fours in his 95-ball stay.

Former Norwich captain Watson hit 41 off 57 deliveries before he was bowled by Andrew Bramley, by which time the total had advanced to 198. Bramley took three for 37 off eight overs.

In reply, all-rounder Bannister did the main damage as Burwell & Exning’s top order was ripped to shreds.

The only exception was opener Tom Jagot, who stood firm at the other end with a majestic 73 off just 67 balls. He was the only visiting batsman to get past the 20-mark.

After fellow opener Tom Griffiths (8) had been run out by Dan Carter, with the score on 25, Burwell’s resistance crumbled.

Set a revised target of 198 off 33 overs, they were bowled out for 147 in the 32nd over.

Bannister took four for 30 off six overs, accounting for the top order with the scalps of Bramley, skipper Tetley, all-rounder Seabrook and wicketkeeper Simon Donald.

Spinner Dulanjala Mendis, who had opened the attack, returned to take four wickets, finishing with figures of 7-0-30-4, including bowling danger-man Jagot, who had earlier reached his half-century off 39 balls.

Meanwhile, rain ruined the chances of an exciting finish in the Suffolk duel at COPDOCK & OLD IPSWICHIAN, after the hosts had been bowled out for 121 in 37.3 overs.

Set a revised target of 108 off 29 overs, Bury had progressed to 25 for two off seven overs when play was abandoned for the day, with both sides taking seven points.

It was frustrating for Bury, because the match would have been decided by Duckworth Lewis if three more overs had been bowled, and Sean Park’s side were in the ascendancy, unless they had lost another couple of wickets.

In difficult conditions, no Copdock batsman reached 20 as all of BURY ST EDMUNDS’ six bowlers took wickets after the visitors had won the toss and elected to field.

Opening bowler Alastair Allchin recorded figures of 10-0-31-3, including the wickets of the opening pair of Ben Claydon and Donald Mlambo with the score on just 20, and there were three quickfire wickets for Josh Cantrell (3-0-16-3)

Bury wicketkeeper Alfie Marston had a good day behind the stumps, being involved in six of the dismissals with five catches and a stumping.

Marston (2) and Tom Curran (6) were both dismissed at the beginning of Bury’s reply, before the rain arrived.

“Conditions were very difficult. The ball did a bit all day, and inevitably having lost the toss, we were going to be up against it,” explained Copdock & OI captain Chris Swallow.

“Bury played some good cricket, and we didn’t bat that well. We started on time, but later on we suddenly went from having 19 overs left to just six, which makes things tricky.

“We were certainly not upset about the match eventually being abandoned, with us having just bowled seven overs.

“It was all a bit of farce really, with 45 overs bowled during the day, but with there being no result,” added Swallow, whose Copdock side are away at leaders Frinton this weekend.

Another rain-truncated fixture saw MILDENHALL follow up defeats at the hands of Saffron Walden and Horsford with another loss, this time on The Common at former champions Swardeston.

Mildenhall captain, Tom Rash, lost a crucial task and so his side were inserted into bat, and were promptly dismissed for 85 off 21.5 overs. Only Ankit Sharma (26) and opener Danny Wilson (13) reached double figures as Mildenhall’s middle and lower order was knocked over by Mark Thomas, who took six for 16 of 4.5 overs.

Chasing a very modest target of 73 off 37 overs, Swardeston raced to victory off just 12.5 overs, Callum Taylor smashing 42 off 31 balls and fellow opener Jordan Taylor finishing 26 not out.