Mildenhall return to top of table

They received a boost before and after the game, although an incident-packed contest at Exning ended with just nine of their players on the field.

The first good news came on Friday afternoon with a text from Southend. Essex had finished off Leicestershire in three days in remarkable fashion when they dismissed their visitors for just 34. That meant Tom Westley and Tymal Mills had a day off and could join Mildenhall at Exning Park on Saturday.

Westley missed out, being bowled for 11, but the rest of the Mildenhall batsman enjoyed themselves. Joe Reed shared a partnershiop of 87 with Ben Shepperson before a mix-up left both batsmen at the same end and Reed was run out for 40.

Shepperson played some fine strokes and with a century in sight he charged down the track and was stumped for 96. Chris Baugh made 54 before he was also stumped. Mildenhall then lost middle order wickets in the search for quick runs before Lennox Lwana (37 not out) and AJ Warraich (27) put on 58 for the ninth wicket as Mildenhall closed on 314 for nine.

Ollie Lawson finished with six wickets for Exning, but they came at a cost of 140 runs.

In reply Exning never really got going, Mills taking the first wicket without a run on the board. However, the other opening bowler, Lennox Lwana, pulled up in his third over with a back problem and left the field.

Change bowlers Warriach (four for 19) and Reed (three for 50) ripped through the Exning middle order to reduce them to 68 for eight before spinner Reed felt unwell and had to leave the field, leaving Mildenhall with nine men. Westley practiced his bowling on the square – and was barred from bowling.

Daniel Baigent took advantage of the confusion to score an unbeaten 46, but Exning were still bowled out for 122 as Mildenhall took maximum points.

The good news for Mildenhall then came from Wivenhoe, when it emerged that the leaders had lost a close game to Copdock by three wickets.

Skipper Steve Lankester thinks the most important spell of the season is coming up. “We’ve got Woolpit at home on Saturday, and Andy Northcote is always capable of taking the game away from you, and then Copdock the week after, and they are in very good form.”

Wivenhoe never really got going, losing wickets at vital times as they were dismissed for 151. They made a good effort to defend that modest total, but Copdock held their nerve to reach their target for the loss of seven wickets.

“We didn’t quite bat well enough,” admitted Wivenhoe captain Will Morgan. His brother Oliver will come into the team this week after missing the season so far with a broken leg suffered while playing rugby for Sudbury.

He comes in at just the right time to replace wicket-keeper Rob Stacey, who is getting married this week.

The Wivenhoe defeat came at the end of a busy Cricket Week. “I would never use it as an excuse, but to be honest some of the players were a little bit cricketed out,” said Morgan.

Mildenhall now lead Wivenhoe by seven points, with Frinton a further nine points adrift after they beat Woolpit by eight wickets.

Jermaine Shillingford dismissed both Woolpit openers cheaply, including Northcote for 10, and the home team slipped to 82 for six. Then Tom Whiteman (48) and Will Parker (22) added 54, but the last four wickets fell for just 10 runs. In reply to 146 all out Trevor Moulton (45) and Mark Jones (84 not out) set up an eight-wicket win.

Elsewhere, Oliver Firmin of Eight Ash Green took the bowling honours in the Two Counties Championship at the weekend when he hit the stumps seven times at a cost of just 20 runs to help dismiss home team West Mersea for just 57 in Division Nine.

The highest score of the weekend came on Sunday when Jack Rowett reached 123 to help Ipswich chase down a Copdock total of 272 to set up an eight-wicket win in Division C.

He just passed the 120 made by Matt Gill for Stowmarket at Felixstowe in Division Three, with S Madanayake also making an unbeaten century as Stowmarket won by 154 runs.

Stu Fisher scored 114 for Brockley, but it was not enough to give his team a second win of the season as Brightlingsea overhauled their total of 238 for nine to win by six wickets in Division Two.

Mildenhall cleaned up the highest total (314 for nine) and the biggest win (by 192 runs) as they returned to the top of Division One by thrashing old rivals Exning.

West Mersea’s 57 was the same total as Melton St Audry’s made at Elmstead Grasshoppers, whose nine-wicket win matched Mistley II (v Copdock II) and Sudbury III (at home to Felixstowe II) as the best win by a team batting second.

Ipswich & East Suffolk scraped home by one wicket against Easton in Division Two, as Gavin Driver and James Barker put together the final half a dozen runs, and Maldon II won by the same margin against East Bergholt II in Division Seven.

Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship

Division One

*Coggeshall 126 (B Ovenstone 62, O Blackwell 23, T Pugh 3 for 15, L Fleming 3 for 23, I Elliott 3 for 35). Maldon 103 (M Gozzett 28, C Adams 26, G Blackwell 4 for 25, W Blackwell 3 for 32). Coggeshall (20) bt Maldon (6) by 23 runs.

Mildenhall 314 for 9 (B Shepperson 96, C Baugh 54, J Reed 40, L Lwana 37no, A Warraich 27, O Lawson 6 for 140). *Exning 122 (D Baigent 46no, D Atkinson 33, T Catley 20, A Warraich 4 for 19, J Reed 3 for 50). Mildenhall (20) bt Exning (5) by 192 runs.

Abberton 168 (R Savill 44, B Rudlin 37, D Booker 31, T Zaman 21, A Gooding 6 for 50). *Ipswich 169 for 2 (J Rowett 61, J Alder 59). Ipswich (20) bt Abberton (4) by 8 wkts.

Haverhill 167 for 9 (D Poole 58, S Youngs 31, L Youngs 23, P Garwood 5 for 44). *Mistley 168 for 8 (P Garwood 63no, M Griggs 32, K Robb 28, G Butcher 20, S Webb 4 for 25). Mistley (19) bt Haverhill (7) by 2 wkts.

*Woolpit 146 (T Whiteman 48, W Parker 22, T Moulton 4 for 38, J Shillingford 3 for 34). Frinton 149 for 2 (M Jones 84no, T Moulton 45). Frinton (20) bt Woolpit (3) by 8 wkts.

*Wivenhoe 151 (C Swallow 3 for 38). Copdock & OIs 152 for 7 (H Thomas 40, Jas East 30no). Copdock (20) bt Wivenhoe (6) by 3 wkts.

Division Two

*East Bergholt 145 (D Taylor 64, D McGrath 38, J Gilderson 4 for 20, M Simmonds 4 for 41). Hadleigh 146 for 7 (K Ellis 31, T Rix 29, A Milnes 25, M Spence 24, P Lloyd 3 for 44, J Willsher 3 for 52). Hadleigh (20) bt East Bergholt (5) by 3 wkts.

Easton 143 (R Croney 50, S Halliday 33, J Barker 5 for 50, G Driver 3 for 28). *Ipswich & East Suffolk 147 for 9 (R Glassford 35, A Marshall 22, W Mitchell 4 for 38, T Bosher 3 for 39). IES (20) bt Easton (6) by 1 wkt.

Witham 175 for 8 (J Suett 38, K Hawes 37, R Green 33, D Ward 21no, J Trigg 20, G Palmer 3 for 60). *Lakenheath 179 for 5 (Rob Horrex 81no, G Palmer 25, R Bond 24no). Lakenheath (19) bt Witham (6) by 5 wkts.

*Woodbridge & OWs 178 (M Parker 39, E Parker 39, I Akers 32, B Hamnett 21, P Gates 4 for 24). Elmstead Grasshoppers 179 for 3 (D Harris 76no, M Perrin 54, D White 31no). Elmstead (20) bt Woodbridge (5) by 7 wkts.

*Braintree 226 (R Vickery 66, R Ainsley 40, B Stephens 26, S Jones 25, J Down 3 for 40, S Hamlin 3 for 47, PW Reid 3 for 90). Dunmow 227 for 5 (N Coupe 56, J Down 42, L Swanston 41no, O Rooney 29). Dunmow (20) bt Braintree (7) by 5 wkts.

Brockley 238 for 9 (S Fisher 114, P Webb 42, B Jeffries 29). *Brightlingsea 240 for 4 (J Barry 66, S Baker 48no, T Cracknell 39). Brightlingsea (19) bt Brockley (7) by 6 wkts.

Division Three

Kelvedon & Feering 255 for 6 (S Warner 76, J West 60, O Parsons 56no, I Stobbs 26, D Coiyle 3 for 86). *Clacton II 187 for 7 (J Occleshaw 62no, Asif 54, I Stobbs 3 for 29). Kelvedon (18) bt Clacton II (7) by 68 runs.

Copford 157 (J Bell 53, B Rawson 28, S Moriarty 28, A Youngs 4 for 28, B Tippett 3 for 52). *Mildenhall II 158 for 4 (S Grinling 41, R Clark 39, L Turner 27). Mildenhall II (20) bt Copford (5) by 6 wkts.

*Worlington 272 for 7 (P Simmons 62no, C Estlea 52, J Watson 42, R Ford 33, G Ford 32, D Bass 3 for 84). Little Bardfield Village 182 (P Stone 56, M Welby 50, A Kemp 22, C Estlea 4 for 13, G Downey 3 for 45). Worlington (20) bt Bardfield (7) by 90 runs.

Stowmarket 289 for 4 (M Gill 120, T Madanayake 103no, D Watling 34, D Snell 3 for 70). *Felixstowe 135 (D Snell 65, H Green 38, J Lander 27). Stowmarket (20) bt Felixstowe (4) by 154 runs.

*Halstead II 237 for 9 (D Baalham 78, N Dakin 46, M Kettle 29, J Rose 24, M Butler 3 for 49, S Blackwell 3 for 61). Coggeshall II 147 (S Blackwell 41, A Ward 33, J Morris 3 for 17). Halstead II (20) bt Coggeshall II (6) by 90 runs.

Division Four

Exning II 220 for 7 (K Tomsett 82, P Woods 76, S Readman 21, M Howe 4 for 56). *Hadleigh II 178 (N Abdul 76, R Checketts 33, S Readman 5 for 49, S Lawson 3 for 10). Exning II (20) bt Hadleigh II (7) by 42 runs.

*Long Melford 284 for 4 (L Phillips 97, A Skeggs 65, N Wright 56, B Byford 43). Ipswich II 228 for 7 (S Webb-Snowling 94, R Gibson 46, J Scott 28no, H Walters 3 for 53). Long Melford (18) bt Ipswich II (7) by 56 runs.

*Needham Market 186 for 8 (S Ward 47, R Hill 33, J Matthews 28, S Mortimer 26, P Rabone 3 for 33). Ipswich & East Suffolk II 176 (N Pryke 89no, J Hamblin 23, A Burgess 3 for 36, J Wade 3 for 38, J Matthews 3 for 64). Needham Market (20) bt IES II (8) by 10 runs.

*St Margarets 241 for 7 (C Mutton 90, R White 54). Woolpit II 242 for 5 (J Bradwell 87, A Bullett 40, J Firth 31, M Eeles 25no, I Firth 24). Woolpit II (18) bt St Margarets (7) by 5 wkts.

*Yoxford 214 for 8 (A Dumesny 60, C Mears 43, J Percival 43no, D Cialini 21, P Palmer 5 for 70). Mistley II 219 for 5 (D Goff 61, H Parkes 55, S Everett 21, M Lincoln 3 for 53). Mistley II (19) bt Yoxford (7) by 5 wkts.

Copdock & OIs II 180 (M Burch 61, K Banham 33, B Leeke 5 for 20). *Mistley II 185 for 1 (D Goff 118no, J Scott 49no). Mistley II (20) bt Copdock II (4) by 9 wkts.

Division Five

*Abberton II 168 for 8 (J Perry 37no, P Lingard 29, M Johnson 22, M Booker 5 for 37). Boxted 169 for 2 (I Evans 50no, R Khaira 42no, J Rishworth 31). Boxted (19) bt Abberton II (4) by 8 wkts.

Bury St Edmunds III 151 (P Thearle 31, S Aldous 30, C Semple 5 for 47, N Cowley 3 for 48). *Harwich & Dovercourt 155 for 5 (N Cowley 46, W Poole 38no, S Good 33). Harwich (20) bt Bury III (5) by 5 wkts.

*Kelvedon & Feering II 229 for 7 (D Schofield 41, J Hill 38, S King 36, W Shortridge 25, R Burt 23, M Wareing 4 for 43). Great Bromley 142 (C Perrin 55, J Hill 3 for 38). Kelvedon II (20) bt Gt Bromley (5) by 77 runs.

*Maldon II 119 (A Barnes 32, M Southwell 21, A Macmillan 20, L Parish 4 for 21, N Oakley 4 for 35). Earls Colne 94. Maldon II (20) bt Earls Colne (5) by 25 runs.

Mildenhall III 181 for 9 (J Taylor 46, T Allen 25, G Aabech Smith 23, J Sambrook 4 for 41). *Witham II 182 for 7 (J Rogers 59, M Headley 41, D Beatty 22, P Austin 22no, L Chipchase 3 for 70). Witham II (19) bt Mildenhall III (7) by 3 wkts.

Brightlingsea II 93. *Frinton II 97 for 2. Frinton II (20) bt Brightlingsea II (1) by 8 wkts.

Division Six

Tuddenham 282 for 6 (M Smith 110, C Carter 79, D Cross 36no). *Copford II 177 for 8 (S Wood 44, D Curtis 33, W Merry 30no, C Allan 30, K Pryke 3 for 47). Tuddenham (19) bt Copford II (7) by 105 runs.

Melton St Audry’s 57 (M Utting 22, N Dennis 4 for 29). *Elmstead Grasshoppers II 59 for 1 (J Sheekey 41). Elmstead II (20) bt Melton St Audry’s (0) by 9 wkts.

*Haverhill II 252 for 6 (D Brown 64, S Fox 50, L Savage 41, R Ketteridge 33no, P Jones 23). Nacton 173 for 8 (A Brunt 62no, J Warner 27, G Songer 26). Haverhill II (19) bt Nacton (6) by 79 runs.

Braintree II 201 for 2 (G Eveling 105no, A Ledgerton 45, S Isaac 26). *Ipswich III 202 for 4 (J Greig 84no, R Jones 38, G Denny 24). Ipswich III (16) bt Braintree II (7) by 6 wkts.

Kesgrave 145 (D Whitney 98, J Jacobs 4 for 52). *Felixstowe Corinthians 146 for 5 (M Sawyer 60, C Monteith 26). Felixstowe Corinthians (20) bt Kesgrave (4) by 5 wkts.

Division Seven

*Halstead III 132 for 6 (A Jones 34no, B Coleman 22). Ipswich IV 133 for 3 (M Lloyd 61no, C Johnson 32). Ipswich IV (18) bt Halstead III (3) by 7 wkts.

East Bergholt II 124 (A Fairchild 38, O Barron 34, M Foster 5 for 30, D Richardson 4 for 35). *Maldon III 126 for 9 (M Smith 30, S Coker 29no, B Molton 3 for 9, B McGrath 3 for 40). Maldon III (20) bt East Bergholt II (5) by 1 wkt.

*Mildenhall IV 174 for 6 (N Clark 58, M Thurston 52, J Francis 24, M Maxim 3 for 50). Long Melford II 175 for 3 (S Hale 79no, M Underwood 43, C Cleverley 32). Long Melford (18) bt Mildenhall IV )4) by 7 wkts.

*Stowmarket II 189 for 7 (D Aldous 62, D Penney 59, S Harrison 22). St Margarets II 190 for 8 (P White 71, K Roche 33, J Dickie 3 for 54, A Holding 3 for 60). St Margarets II (18) bt Stowmarket II (8) by 2 wkts.

Felixstowe II 86 (T Arbon 3 for 6, C Thomas 3 for 19). *Sudbury III 87 for 1 (J Coone 47no). Sudbury III (20) bt Felixstowe II (0) by 9 wkts.

Division Eight

DBSL 162 for 9. *Brockley II 163 for 2. Brockley II (19) bt DBSL (4) by 8 wkts.

*Easton II 179 for 7. Witham III 182 for 6. Witham III (18) bt Easton II (6) by 4 wkts.

*Eye 228 for 5 (D Whiting 67no, N Weedon 55, S Rowntree 45, C Whiting 22,G Jenno 3 for 44). Tendring 126 (C Flood 58, D Flood 27, B Watkinson 25, C Whiting 5 for 39, S Rowntree 3 for 18). Eye (20) bt Tendring (5) by 102 runs.

Harwich & Dovercourt II 145 (A Double 45, A Rogers 21, G Bellamy 4 for 27). *Kelvedon & Feering III 129 (C Hards 34, G Bellamy 32, T Armstrong 4 for 38, T Luxford 3 for 28). Harwich II (20) bt Kelvedon III (7) by 16 runs.

*St Osyth 240 for 4 (S Fraser 95, N Shuttleworth 48, C Vithanage 43, S Hennessy 21no). Coggeshall III 185 (D Gibson 54, J Blackwell 36, C Girling 31, A Egg 24, S Fraser 4 for 11). St Osyth (20) bt Coggeshall III (6) by 55 runs.

Division Nine

Worlington II 193 (G du Plooy 68, B Bowens 58, I Roberts 23, J Foreman 3 for 36). *Sudbourne Hall 138 for 8 (J Foreman 27, P Vincent 23, M Bassett 3 for 29). Worlington II (19) bt Sudbourne Hall (7) by 55 runs.

*West Mersea 57 (M Laver 22, O Firman 7 for 20). Eight Ash Green 58 for 2 (W Shearman 30no). EAG (20) bt West Mersea (1) by 8 wkts.

Nowton 301 for 8 (J Taylor 67, L Kretzmann 63, J Walker 55, K Howes 37no, M Ainsley 34, N Jenkins 5 for 89). *Woodbridge & OWs II 159 (J Youngs 46, G Machan 32, L Kretzmann 4 for 70). Nowton (20) bt Woodbridge II (7) by 143 runs.

Division C

Wivenhoe 140. *Brightlingsea 144 for 4. Brightlingsea (20) bt Wivenhoe (4) by 6 wkts.

Coggeshall 240 for 9 (D Gibson 90, T Pickles 45, O Bond 40, R Parker 25, A Yates 5 for 40, W Bellamy 3 for 85). *Kelvedon & Feering 242 for 6 (W Shortridge 46, F Warner 43no, M Warner 39, C Osmond 38, T Smith 22, T Pickles 3 for 46). Kelvedon (19) bt Coggeshall (8) by 4 wkts.

Copdock & OIs 272 for 7 (D Ward 111, S Ward 51, D Crane 21, K Baldry 5 for 83). *Ipswich 275 for 2 (J Rowett 123, L Mair 97no, R Jones 28). Ipswich (18) bt Copdock (6) by 8 wkts.

* denotes home team