HADLEIGH’S Matt Wareing bowled his way to seven for 25 as history was made in Division One of the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship on Saturday.

Not only did the fixture mark Hadleigh’s first match in the top flight for 22 years, but Catherine Dalton became the first female to appear in Division One since the championship started 42 years ago. Hadleigh, who won promotion from Division Two last season, squeaked home by one wicket against a Halstead side who last season were playing two levels higher in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League.

Wareing returned figures of 12-5-25-7 as Halstead were bowled out for 110 in 38 overs. Dalton, batting at No.5, was dismissed for a duck.

Skipper Josh Davey (28) and partner Marlon Dias (45) then compiled an opening partnership of 80 as Hadleigh looked on course for a comfortable victory.

After Digby Harding, who ended with 21-9-43-3, made the initial breakthrough David Elsbury mesmerised the home batsmen on his way to figures of 12.4-9-6-5.

Hadleigh eventually limped over the line, requiring ten balls of the extra quota available for bowling out Halstead inside their 50-over allocation.

Witham, last season’s Division Two champions, also made a winning start to life back in the top tier, defeating Essex rivals Wivenhoe by 28 runs.

Jake Wakelin was the star of the show, returning remarkable figures of 18-11-10-6 as Wivenhoe were bowled out for just 62 to lose by 28 runs!

Essex’s three-day defeat at Northamptonshire spelt double trouble for Ipswich as Tymal Mills and Tom Westley were available to turn out for Mildenhall.

Mills, who last season took eight for 13, including a hat-trick, against Ipswich, this time claimed figures of 13-5-12-5 as the visitors were dismissed for 120.

Skipper Steve Lankester weighed in with four for 26, including the wicket of James Alder, who top-scored with 56.

It was then the turn of Westley to take centre stage, the Essex opener scoring 82 not out as Mildenhall romped home in only 20.2 overs.

Kiwi Richard Faust, who only arrived in this country on Friday after playing club cricket in Australia, scored 106 out of Elmstead’s 149 all out against Maldon.

Faust struck four sixes and ten fours off only 80 balls, but his knock was not sufficient to earn victory.

Maldon slumped to 24 for three in their reply – all three batsmen were out for ducks – before another Kiwi, Jamie Glenn, made 84 not out and skipper Jimmy Ainscough (62 not out) as they saw their side to a seven-wicket win.

In the reverse fixture involving the clubs’ 2nd XI sides in Division Five, Maldon’s Tim Bache bagged eight for 24 to eclipse the divisional best set last year of eight for 27 by Kelvedon & Feering’s Josh King.

Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship scoreboard

DIVISION ONE

*Coggeshall 158 for 8 (O Blackwell 49, W Blackwell 26, J Rees 24). Mistley 159 for 4 (R Pineo 49no, K Young 45, S Barlow 27, M Griggs 20. Mistley (19pts) bt Coggeshall (5pts) by 6 wkts.

*Frinton 200 for 7. Haverhill 128. Frinton (20pts) bt Haverhill (5pts by 72 runs.

Halstead 110 (I Pont 29, F Preston 29, M Wareing 7 for 25). *Hadleigh 111 for 9 (M Dias 45, J Davey 28, D Elsbury 5 for 6, D Harding 3 for 43). Hadleigh (20pts) bt Halstead (5pts) by 1 wkt.

Elmstead Grasshoppers 149 (J Wyte 106, J Riley 6 for 20). *Maldon 152 for 3 (J Glenn 84no, J Ainscough 62no, D Carter 3 for 41). Maldon (20pts) bt Elmstead Grasshoppers (3pts) by 7 wkts.

Ipswich 120 (J Alder 56, D Watling 24, T Mills 5 for 12, S Lankester 4 for 26). *Mildenhall 124 for 1 (T Westley 82no, A Reynolds 21). Mildenhall (20pts) bt Ipswich (1pt) by 9 wkts.

Witham 90. *Wivenhoe 62. Witham (20pts) bt Wivenhoe (5pts) by 28 runs.

DIVISION TWO

Worlington 173 (G Ford 70, Z Kulasi 27, A Watson 23, S Hill 5 for 52). *Brockley 101 (B Jeffrey 32, S Fisher 26, L Do looy 6 for 19, C Manels 4 for 25). Worlington (20pts) bt Brockley (6pts) by 72 runs.

Dunmow 193 for 8 (O Rooney 67, N Rooney 65, J Down 20, T Catley 3 for 35, D Baigent 3 for 38). *Exning 171 (T Catley 83, S Readman 32, J Down 4 for 26). Dunmow (20pts) bt Exning (7pts) by 22 runs.

Braintree 220 for 7 (R Jones 63, W Celiz 46, R Vickery 45, S Jones 34, M Worne 3 for 63). *Ipswich & ES 81 (S Jones 4 for 8, B Stephens 3 for 19). Braintree (20pts) bt Ipswich & ES (3pts) by 139 runs.

Copford 183. *Lakenheath 111. Copford (20pts) bt Lakenheath (6pts) by 72 runs.

*Long Melford 236 for 7, Easton 200 for 9. Long Melford (19pts) bt Easton (8pts) by 36 runs.

Mildenhall II 186 for 9 *Woodbridge & OW 173. Mildenhall II (20pts) bt Woodbridge & OW (7pts) by 13 runs.

DIVISION THREE

Felixstowe 102. *Brightlingsea (20pts) 106 for 3. Brightlingsea (20pts) bt Felixstowe (2pts) by 7 wkts.

Abberton 199 for 7. *Bury St Edmunds II 203 for 3. Bury St Edmunds II (18pts) bt Abberton (5pts) by 7 wkts.

*Halstead II 138. Kelvedon & Feering 140 for 7. Kelvedon & Feering (20pts) bt Halstead (5pts) by 3 wkts.

*Little Bardfield Village 169 for 6. Needham Market 140 for 8. Little Bardfield Village (19pts) bt Needham Market (5pts) by 29 runs.

*Sudbury II 185 for 8. Frinton II 187 for 7. Frinton II (19pts) bt Sudbury II (7pts) by 3 wkts.

Coggeshall II 183 for 9. *Yoxford 92. Coggeshall II (20pts) bt Yoxford (4pts) by 91 runs.

DIVISION FOUR

Clacton II v Hadleigh II. Match cancelled, but Hadleigh II not informed so could be awarded 20pts

*Copdock & OI II 225 for 3. Great Bromley (6pts) 222 for 8. Copdock & OI II (19pts) bt Great Bromley (6pts) won by 3 runs.

*Ipswich II 122. East Bergholt 126 for 4. East Bergholt (20pts) bt Ipswich II (3pts) by 6 wkts.

*Mistley II 262 for 4. Ipswich & ES II 177 for 7. Mistley II (18pts) bt Ipswich & ES (6pts) by 85 runs.

*Stowmarket 123. Woolpit II 124 for 4. Woolpit II (20pts) bt Stowmarket (3pts) by 6 wkts.

*Witham II 200 for 4, Wivenhoe II 140. Witham II (20pts) bt Wivenhoe II (4pts) by 60 runs.

DIVISION FIVE

Maldon II 194 for 8. *Elmstead Grasshoppers II 104. Maldon II (20pts) bt Elmstead Gtrasshoppers II (5pts) by 90 runs.

*Harwich & Dovercourt 129. Nacton 130 for 6. Nacton (20pts) bt Harwich & Dovercourt (5pts) by 4 wkts.

*Haverhill II 176 for 4, Boxted 74. Haverhill II (20pts) bt Boxted (2pts) by 102 runs.

*Ipswich III 114. St Margarets 116 for 0. St Margarets (20pts) bt Ipswich III (1pt) by 10 wkts.

Bury St Edmunds III 65. *Mildenhall III 66 for 1. Mildenhall III (20pts) bt Bury St Edmunds III (0pts) by 9 wkts.

Earl Stonham 101. *Tuddenham 103 for 4. Tuddenham (20pts) bt Earl Stonham (3pts) by 6 wkts.

DIVISION SIX

Abberton II 168 for 6. *Braintree II 171 for 3. Braintree II (18pts) bt Abberton II (4pts) by 7 wkts.

Brightlingsea II (20pts) 198-7, *Kesgrave (3pts) 51 Brightlingsea II (20pts) bt Kesgrave (3pts) by 147 runs.

DIVISION EIGHT EAST

Woodbridge & OW II v Easton II. Match postponed until June 15.

DIVISION EIGHT SOUTH

Harwich & Dovercourt II 258 for 7. *Great Bromley II 110 for 8. Harwich & Dovercourt II (19pts) bt Great Bromley II (4pts) by 148 runs.

DIVISION EIGHT WEST

*Bury St Edmunds IV 168 for 8. Battisford 138. Bury St Edmunds IV (20pts) bt Battisford (6pts) by 30 runs.

*Halstead III 94. Elveden 96 for 0. Elveden (20pts) bt Halstead (0pts) by 10 wkts.

Lakenheath II 134 for 7, *Nowton (18pts) 135 for 1. Nowton (18pts) bt Lakenheath II (2pts) by 9 wkts.

Brockley II 84. *Worlington II 86 for 3. Worlington II (20pts) btr Brockley II (1pt) by 7 wkts.

DIVISION C

*Frinton 201 for 5. Wivenhoe 206 for 3. Wivenhoe (17pts) bt Frinton (6pts) by 7 wkts.

*Mistley 194 for 1. Ipswich 198 for 4. Ipswich (15pts) bt Mistley (6pts) by 6 wkts.

LADIES T-20

Mistley 78. *Copdock & OI 79 for 2. Copdock & OI (20pts) bt Mistley (2pts) by 8 wkts.

*Copdock & OI 117 for 2. Maldon 103. Copdock & OI (20pts) bt Maldon (4pts) by 14 runs.

* Denotes home team.