Mistley wallop Woolpit to turn title race on its head

Tymal Mills took eight for 13 as Mildenhall rose to the top of the table – level on 222 points with Woolpit – after dispatching Ipswich by 154 runs.

But of equal, if not greater, significance was Mistley’s 91-run success at Woolpit, who have now lost on successive Saturdays to see their lead eroded.

Woolpit were outplayed by Mistley, who now trail both teams by just eight points and have emerged as genuine title contenders themselves.

Mistley’s Michael Griggs led the way with 131 off 135 balls (11 fours and three sixes) and shared a second-wicket stand of 111 with Graeme Butcher.

After Griggs was out Butcher continued to carry the attack to Woolpit, finishing undefeated on 86 off 113 balls with six fours.

The visitors’ 250 for five proved too steep a target for Woolpit, who folded for 159, five bowlers sharing the wickets as Stuart Dove finished off the tail with figures of 2.5-0-4-3.

Consistent scoring by Mildenhall’s top order – Fran Bester (79), Alex Reynolds (77), Steve Lankester (52) and Ben Shepperson (35) – saw the West Suffolk side pile up 289 for six at Clay Hall, although Ipswich contributed to their own downfall by dropping half-a-dozen catches.

But that was nothing compared to the drama that was to unfold as Essex bowler Tymal Mills blew away the Ipswich batting line-up.

Mills took three wickets as Ipswich slipped to 31 for four, but the home team rallied as Sam Gibson and Doug Hondo put on 96 before Fran Bester removed the former Zimbabwe international for 61.

Mills, who will turn 20 this coming Sunday, returned for his second spell and ran through the lower order to claim figures of 15-7-13-8, including a hat-trick, as Ipswich lost their last six wickets for just eight runs.

Elsewhere in Division One there were narrow wins for Elmstead Grasshoppers and Maldon.

Maldon successfully defended 166 to win by 16 runs at home to Lakenheath, while Elmstead Grasshoppers defeated Wivenhoe by 15 runs.

Hadleigh took full of advantage of Witham’s inactivity to topple them from the top of Division Two.

They did so in style, bowling out Brockey for just 78, before Tim Rix (50 not out) and Josh Davey (25 not out) knocked off the runs after the dismissal of Marlon Dias for a duck.

Henry Hazlewood with 84 not out and Mark Sproats with a typically hard-hit 61 not out (three fours and six sixes) saw Ipswich & East Suffolk record a five-wicket win at Dunmow.

Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship

DIVISION ONE

Coggeshall v Frinton - result not received.

*Elmstead Grasshoppers 182 for 7 (M Perrin 82, J Elliott 33, J Butcher 20, R Savill 4 for 64). Wivenhoe 167 (B Godleman 65, M Durrell 27, A Garnham 4 for 38, D White 4 for 58). Elmstead Grasshoppers (20pts) bt Wivenhoe (6pts) by 15 runs.

Exning v Haverhill - match cancelled, Exning 6pts, Haverhill 6pts.

Mildenhall 289 for 6 (F Bester 79, A Reynolds 77, B Shepperson 35). *Ipswich 135 (D Hondo 61, S Gibson 38, T Mills 8 for 13). Mildenhall (20pts) bt Ipswich (5pts) by 154 runs.

*Maldon 166 (J Glenn 35, N Simpson 35, G Palmer 4 for 38, P Pallant 3 for 50). Lakenheath 150 (R Horrex 38, P Pallant 35, A Horrex 22, J Riley 3 for 19, C Harris 3 for 38). Maldon (20pts) bt Lakenheath (8pts) by 16 runs.

Mistley 250 for 5 (M Griggs 131, G Butcher 86no). *Woolpit 159 (D Crame 38, A Starling 24no, S Dove 3 for 4). Mistley (20pts) bt Woolpit (5pts) by 91 runs.

DIVISION TWO

*Brightlingsea 173 for 9. Braintree 75. Brightlingsea (20pts) bt Braintree (4pts) by 98 runs.

*Brockley 78. Hadleigh 79 for 1. Hadleigh (20pts) bt Brockley (0pts) by 9 wkts.

*Dunmow 175 for 6. Ipswich & East Suffolk 178 for 5. Ipswich & ES (18pts) bt Dunmow (6pts) by 5 wkts.

Mildenhall II v Witham - match cancelled, Mildenhall 6pts, Witham 6pts.

Woodbridge & OW v Easton - match cancelled, Woodbridge & OW 6pts, Easton 6pts.

Worlington v Abberton - match cancelled, Worlington 6pts, Abberton 6pts.

DIVISION THREE

*Coggeshall II 94 for 8. Sudbury II 95 for 9. Sudbury II (19pts) bt Coggeshall II (4pts) by 1 wkt.

Halstead II 141 for 5. *Copford 142 for 3. Copford (17pts) bt Halstead II (3pts) by 7 wkts.

Kelvedon & Feering v Felixstowe - match cancelled, Kelvedon & Feering 6pts, Felixstowe 6pts.

*Long Melford 163. Little Bardfield Village 167 for 2. Little Bardfield Village (20pts) bt Long Melford (4pts) by 8 wkts.

*Yoxford 17 for 2 v Stowmarket - match abandoned, Yoxford (6pts), Stowmarket (7pts).

DIVISION FOUR

Clacton II 260 for 6. *Witham II 217 for 8. Clacton II (19pts) bt Witham II (8pts) by 43 runs.

Copdock OI II 112. *Hadleigh II 115 for 2. Hadleigh II (20pts) bt Copdock & OI II (2pts) by 8 wkts.

*Frinton II 170. Needham Market 147. Frinton II (20pts) bt Needham Market (7pts) by 23 runs.

Ipswich II 181 for 9. *Mistley II 176 for 7. Ipswich II (18pts) bt Mistley II (8pts) by 5 runs.

Woolpit II 211 for 8. *Ipswich & East Suffolk II 127 for 9. Woolpit II (19pts) bt Ipswich & ES II (6pts) by 84 runs.

DIVISION FIVE

Bury St Edmunds III 212 for 8. *St Margarets 131. Bury St. Edmunds III (20pts) bt St Margarets (6pts) by 81 runs.

Elmstead Grasshoppers II 103. *Wivenhoe II 104 for 3. Wivenhoe II (20pts) bt Elmstead Grasshoppers II (2pts) by 7 wkts.

*Great Bromley 274 for 8. Abberton II 66. Great Bromley (20pts) bt Abberton II (4pts) by 208 runs.

Harwich & Dovercourt v Kelvedon & Feering II - match cancelled, Harwich & Dovercourt 6pts, Kelvedon & Feering II 6pts.

Maldon II 130. *Boxted 98. Maldon II (20pts) bt Boxted (5pts) by 32 runs.

*Tuddenham 186 for 9. Mildenhall III 138 for 7. Tuddenham (18pts) bt Mildenhall III (6pts) by 48 runs.

DIVISION SIX

Brightlingsea II 155. *Braintree II 156 for 4. Braintree II (20pts) bt Brightlingsea II (5pts) by 6 wkts.

Earls Colne 132. *Felixstowe Corinthians 133 for 4. Felixstowe Corinthians (20pts) bt Earls Colne (4pts) by 6 wkts.

Haverhill II v Long Melford II - match cancelled, Haverhill II 6pts, Long Melford II 6pts.

Mildenhall IV v Melton St Audrys - match cancelled, Mildenhall IV 6pts, Melton St Audrys 6pts.

Nacton 265 for 2. *Ipswich III 133. Nacton (20pts) bt Ipswich II (3pts) by 132 runs.

DIVISION SEVEN

Copford II 118. *Sudbury III 119 for 1. Sudbury III (20pts) bt Copford II (1pt) by 9 wkts.

East Bergholt II v Halstead III - match cancelled, East Bergholt II 6pts, Halstead III 6pts.

St Osyth 151. *Felixstowe II 99. St Osyth (20pts) bt Felixstowe II (5pts) by 52 runs.

*Stowmarket II 157. Kesgrave 159 for 0. Kesgrave (20pts) bt Stowmarket II (3pts) by 10 wkts.

DIVISION EIGHT EAST

*Easton II 266 for 4. DBSL 122. Easton II (20pts) bt DBSL (3pts) by 144 runs.

Ipswich IV 115 for 8. *Worlingworth 116 for 1. Worlingworth (19pts) bt Ipswich IV (1pt) by 9 wkts.

*Sudboure Hall 129 for 8. St Margarets II 130 for 9. St Margarets II (19pts) bt Sudbourne Hall (6pts) by 1 wkt.

Stradbroke 189 for 5. *Woodbridge & OW II 193 for 6. Woodbridge & OW II (17pts) bt Stradbroke (7pts) by 4 wkts.

DIVISION EIGHT SOUTH

Brantham v Tendring - match cancelled, Brantham 6pts, Tendring 6pts.

Kelvedon & Feering III 53. *Eight Ash Green 55 for 1. Eight Ash Green (20pts) bt Kelvedon & Feering III (0pts) by 9 wkts.

West Bergholt v Harwich & Dovercourt II - West Bergholt (20pts) bt Harwich & Dovercourt II (0pts) by concession.

*West Mersea 245 for 8. Coggeshall IV 98. West Mersea (20pts) bt Coggeshall IV (4pts) by 147 runs.

DIVISION EIGHT WEST

Battisford v Walsham-le-Willows - result not received

Haverhill III v Worlington II - match cancelled, Haverhill III 6pts, Worlington II 6pts

DIVISION C

Clacton 139 for 2 v *Kelvedon & Feering - match abandoned, Kelvedon & Feering (7pts), Clacton (8pts).

*Mistley 187 for 5. Brightlingsea 189 for 2. Brightlingsea (17pts) bt Mistley (5pts) by 8 wkts.

DIVISION C CUP

Coggeshall v Wivenhoe - result not received

LADIES’ CHALLENGE

Cambridge NCI v Woolpit - result not received

Ipswich v Copdock & OI - result not received

*Denotes home team