ASHLEY Skeggs and Daren Bigg posted a double-century stand for Long Melford in Division Four of the Hunts County Bats League on Sunday.

Skeggs scored a single off the ball to reach three figures and skipper Bigg ended on 87 not out as Long Melford reached 224 without loss on the way to a 91-run win at home to Horringer.

Bigg, who shared a stand of 217 with son Tom against Stowmarket four years ago, said: “The wicket is normally pretty good at Long Melford, but fair play to Horringer as they bowled fairly tightly and didn’t give us too much to go after.

“We had around 100 off the first 20 overs, but didn’t really accelerate as much as we would have hoped to have done, bearing in mind we had plenty of wickets in hand.

“Ashley needed two off the last over for his hundred and after I got a single off the fifth ball to get him on strike he scored a single.”

It was the third time that Skeggs has figured in a double-century stand for the club, after compiling 216 with Andy Wade against Castle Hedingham in 2006 and 217 with Steve Hale against Haverhill 2nd XI in 2010, both unbeaten.

Bigg said: “Horringer’s opener hit a couple of sixes in the first two overs, and I thought to myself ‘this could be interesting’ but we bowled well and unless you are a really good player you can’t carry on batting like that.

“We got ourselves in a position where we could give our younger players a good bowl.”

However, it was Lawrence Hall who was the most successful bowler, claiming four for 18 as the visitors were dismissed for 134.

Walsham-le-Willows were also among the runs, racking up 220 for one in a 47-run success at home to Haverhill in Division One, Liam Bryant leading the way with an undefeated 103.

In Division Two Brian Barker scored 143 out of Brettenham’s 211 all out as they beat Edwardstone by 162 runs, while in Division Five Stowupland (116 for eight) beat Mellis (116 for nine) by virtue of losing fewer wickets.

Holders St Margaret’s will face Easton in the final of this season’s MSC Suffolk Alliance Cup.

Athul Sarangan returned figures of 7-0-24-4 and Jolyon Kimmerling 8-2-10-3 as Kesgrave were routed for 63. John Todd (26 not out) and Kimmerling (23 not out) then Easton eased to an eight-wicket win.

Kevin Roche played a match-winning innings for St Margaret’s in their 22-run victory at Nacton. Coming to the wicket with the Saints struggling at 45 for five, Roche held the innings together with 55, receiving useful support from Josh Silburn, who made 25.

They enabled the visitors to close on 44 for nine, despite fourth-change bowler Ellis Baker bagging three for 23 including the wicket of Roche.

The target proved beyond Nacton, top-scorer Jonathan Warner (38) being one of Karl Burt’s victims on his way to figures of 8-1-19-4, while Jordan Beaumont chipped in with 6-1-30-3.

In the Plate quarter-finals there were wins for Caribbeans, Southwold, Needham Market and Woodbridge & Old Woodbridgians.

Hunts County Bats Suffolk League

Division One

Bury St Edmunds 95. *Woolpit 216 for 9. Woolpit (20pts) bt Bury St Edmunds (4pts) by 121 runs.

*Sudbury 129. Mildenhall 130 for 4. Mildenhall (20pts) bt Sudbury (4) by 6 wkts.

*Walsham-le-Willows 220 for 1 (L Bryant 103no, S Ousten 93no). Haverhill 173 (O Jackson 4 for 20). Walsham-le-Willows (20pts) bt Haverhill (3pts) by 47 runs.

Division Two

*Brettenham 211 (B Barker 143, T Beven 4 for 61, G Hayton 3 for 28). Edwardstone 49 (P Barker 5 for 22). Brettenham (20pts) bt Edwardstone (5pts) by 162 runs.

Exning 74 (C Watling 4 for 23, A Watling 3 for 18). *Stowmarket 75 for 5 (P Blake 46no). Stowmarket (20pts) bt Exning (2pts) by 5 wkts.

*Hadleigh 184 for 4. Brockley II 117. Hadleigh (20pts) bt Brockley II

(3pts) by 67 runs.

*Lavenham v Lakenheath - cancelled due to wet pitch.

*Mellis I v Rougham - cancelled due to wet pitch.

Division Three

*BSSSC 150 for 4. Tuddenham 149. BSSSC (20pts) bt Tuddenham (4pts) by 6 wkts.

*Haverhill II 202 for 8 (A Foreshaw 64, J Boulton 58). Cavendish Wanderers 199 for 3 (A Tatum 89no, N Keefe 76). Haverhill II (20pts) bt Cavendish Wanderers (8pts) by 2 wkts.

Thurston 119 (D Reynolds 3 for 16). *Nowton II 123 for 7 (D Reynolds 37, J Curtis 32no, A Malcolm 3 for 35). Nowton II (20pts) bt Thurston (4pts) by 3 wkts.

*Earl Stonham II v Bardwell - cancelled due to wet pitch.

*Withersfield v Hartest & Coldham - cancelled due to wet pitch.

Division Four

*Long Melford 224 for 0 (A Skeggs 100no, D Bigg 87no). Horringer 143 (Kowser 43, A Smith 34, L Hall 4 for 11). Long Melford (20pts) bt Horringer (2pts) by 91 runs.

Nowton Academy 176 for 8 (P Arnold 47no, O Day 40). *Mildenhall II 205 for 6 (J Francis 65, A Ward 3 for 31). Mildenhall II (20pts) bt Nowton Academy (7pts) by 29 runs.

Sudbury II 168 for 3 (C Holt 46, S Ruffell 44). *Tendring Park 109 (M Willingham 30, C Walters 3 for 21, A Macdiarmid 3 for 17). Sudbury II (20pts) bt Tendring Park (2pts) by 59 runs.

Division Five

*Elmswell 153 for 6 (I Plowman 46, K Barnes 37). Acton 132 (C Miller 37, K Barnes 3 for 14). Elmswell (20pts) bt Acton (5pts) by 21 runs.

*Milden II 95 for 3 (M Ward 34). Hadleigh Academy 94 (H Tossbell 4 for 17, M Jossey 3 for 11). Milden II (20pts) bt Hadleigh Academy (1pt) by 7 wkts.

*Risby v Woolpit - cancelled due to wet pitch.

Stowupland 116 for 8 (Prior 3 for 33). Mellis II 116 for 9 (C Farrant 72, A Sturgeon 3 for 9). Stowupland (20pts) bt Mellis II (5pts) by losing fewer wkts.

MSC Suffolk Alliance

Cup semi-finals

*Kesgrave 63 (Athul Sarangan 4 for 24, J Kimmerling 3 for 10). Easton 65 for 2 (J Todd 26no, J Kimmerling 23no). Easton won by 8 wkts.

St Margarets 144 for 9 (K Roche 55, J Silburn 25, E Baker 3 for 24). *Nacton 122 (J Warner 38, C Stockwell 20. K Burt 4 for 19, Jordan Beaumont 3 for 30). St Margarets won by 22 runs.

Plate quarter-finals

Stradbroke 141 for 4 (J Franklin-Mann 62no, A Barker 37). *Caribbeans 145 for 8 (J Whyte 33, K Layne 29no, T Gibson 21, L J Smith 3 for 29, B Flatt 3 for 20). Caribbeans won by 2 wkts.

*Rosary Cavaliers 48 (M Dye 3 for 4, C Morris 3 for 16 for 3). Needham Market 54 for 1 (L Cooper 28no, C Morris 23). Needham Market won by 9 wkts.

*Southwold 204 for 5 (R Moore 78no, S Booker 58). Felixstowe & Corinthian Youth A 115 (J Heathcote 46, E Parker 23, H Green 22, Craig Gost-Allman 4 for 18, Harry Booker 4 for 8). Southwold won by 89 runs.

*Woodbridge & Old Woodbrigians III 145 (M Smith 60, M Whitlock 25, R Edge 5 for 12). Eye & District II 102 (A White 37, N Jenkins 3 for 16, G Smith 3 for 20). Woodbridge & Old Woodbrigians III won by 43 runs.

Section B

*Castle 178 for 6 (A Hopkins 74, J Gilderson 64, Darren Grimes 3 for 40, N Gibbons 3 for 41). BT Martlesham & Waldringfield II 150 for 8 (M Smyth 42, Sumanth Surendra 20, Ian Clarke 4 for 37, T Shahid 3 for 29). Castle (19pts) bt BT Martlesham & Waldringfield II (7pts) by 28 runs.

Section D

DBSL 187 for 6 (B Granham 92, Alex Underwood 33no). *Felixstowe & Corinthian Youth B 173 for 7 (A Harrison 83no, L Hill 45, N Howlett 3 for 28). DBSL (18pts) bt Felixstowe & Corinthian Youth B (7pts) by 14 runs.

*Freston 116 for 8 (D Hardman 30no, D Miller25, Manoranjan Mishra 4 for 10). Kesgrave II 117 for 8 (J Ling 53, J Booth 22, S Linge 3 for 29). Kesgrave II (16pts) bt Freston (6pts) by 2 wkts.

*Ipswich & East Suffolk III 77 (Dan Saunders 3 for 23). Saxmundham Sports II 78 for 5 (N Brett 31). Saxmundham Sports II (18pts) bt Ipswich & ES III (3pts) by 5 wkts.

*Denotes home team