Copdock & Old Ipswichian secured a draw at home to Vauxhall Mallards, in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League, after a spell of losing six wickets for the addition of just 58 runs in a match delayed by early-morning rain on Saturday.

Replying to the Mallards’ robust total of 255 for seven, achieved off 52 overs (play did not start until 1pm, with a total of 23 overs lost), Copdock began positively with openers Sam Webb-Snowling (33) and Fergus Atkins (21) putting on 47 for the first wicket.

However, the Suffolk hosts then slumped to 105 for six, and so had to make do with a draw after Jed Cawkwell (47) and Nathan Scarff (21) had rescued the situation. This pair added 46 for the seventh wicket as Copdock claimed only their second draw of the summer – they have won six and lost six of their 15 games, with the other one cancelled – finishing on 154 for eight.

Copdock’s stand-in captain, Jack Beaumont, won the toss and elected to field, and he ended up being the main wicket-taker in Mallards’ big innings. The hard-hitting Matthew Platter (58 off just 66 balls) and Hudson De Lucchi (27) shared an opening partnership of 88, before Jason Pembroke (two for 50 off 14 overs) removed both of them in quick succession.

However, the exit of the two openers merely allowed Ben France and Nicholas Smit to add 137 for the third wicket, to put the Norfolk visitors firmly in the driving seat. Skipper France made 58 off 82 balls, but overseas batsman Smit was more brutal with two sixes and 12 fours in his swift knock of 80, off just 70 balls.

Beaumont bowled both of them, and also had Adam Todd stumped by Webb-Snowling near the end, to finish with figures of 9-0-51-3.

Todd (three for 34) stopped Copdock in their tracks, during their reply, by bowling Atkins and then having Webb-Snowling caught by Thomas Miller. Alex Oxley (14) and Beaumont (8) were unable to linger for long, and team-mates Jack Mexome and Glenton Stuurman both fell cheaply to leave Mallards in pole position to claim victory.

But Cawkwell impressed with his 82-ball knock of 47, and Scarff supported him with 21 off 53 balls before Paul Bradshaw dismissed both just before the close.