SUDBURY have had a rollercoaster first season in the Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League and they had another up-and-down afternoon on Saturday.

Travelling to the Victory Ground to face West Suffolk rivals Bury St Edmunds, they lost their first wicket without a run on the board.

The batsmen struggled, with Hasantha Fernando digging in for 49 but wickets falling regularly to 93 for seven and, after a brief rally as Ben Reece scored 15, 121 all out.

Chris Wright (three for 31), Tom Rash (three for 37) and Phil Edwards (two for 21), plus a couple of run outs, left Sudbury with a seemingly inadequate total.

That seemed particularly true as Tom Huggins (48 not out) and Chris Wright (25) put on 51 for the first wicket. But once Matt Hunn made the breakthrough, Sudbury began to perk up a bit.

Fernando snapped up five for 35, and Ben Reece collected three for 24, and Bury were bowled out for 101, losing their last six wickets for 21 runs.

Suffolk all-rounder Huggins was left high and dry, carrying his bat for an undefeated 48.

The win was a welcome present for Sudbury skipper Darren Batch on his birthday.

Clacton’s tailend batsmen came up with the goods to secure a draw against bottom team Norwich. By doing so they maintained a healthy gap, which is now 28 points with six games left to play and one relegation place at stake.

Norwich had scored 245 for nine from their 66 overs, the innings based on an opening stand of 126 between Tim McIntosh (62) and Erik Laubscher (67).

Stefanus Gericke took the bowling honours with six for 75 from 18 overs, while Ben France came up with useful figures of 16-4-40-2.

Clacton then made a disastrous start to their reply, losing Garth Davson, Martyn Cull and Michael Comber with just eight runs on the board. When France joined them for 25 it was 40 for four but from then on a series of batsmen showed their defiance.

Wicket-keeper George Brown made 38, and Gericke and Scott Facey both scored 42.

But at 163 for seven there was still a danger of being bowled out, so David Coyle (15 from 53 deliveries) and Imran Sheikh (18 from 36) kept the bowlers at bay until Sheikh fell to the last ball of the day, having already secured the draw.

Halstead had their last pair at the crease with 11 runs needed at home to Cambridge Granta. Bertie Blackwell took four for 65 as Granta scored 271 for eight declared, and Josh Wells (42), Amit Gupta (62), Blackwell (60) and Tom Philp (35 not out) took Halstead to 261 for nine in reply. Last man Jake Foley had to keep out three deliveries to ensure the draw.

At the top of the table Swardeston’s big lead was cut as they lost to Horsford while all of the other matches were drawn. Swardeston now lead by 23 points.

Gibbs Denley East Anglian Premier League

*Burwell 254 (65.4 overs: G Goosen 116, D Cousins 4 for 52). Saffron Walden 207 for 4 (56 overs: J Gallian 109no). Burwell (15pts) drew with Saffron Walden (11).

Sudbury 121 (40.2 overs: K Fernando 49, C Wright 3 for 31, T Rash 3 for 37). *Bury St Edmunds 101 (32.4 overs: T Huggins 48no, C Wright 25, K Fernando 5 for 35, B Reece 3 for 24). Sudbury (30) bt Bury (5) by 20 runs.

Norwich 245 for 9 (66 overs: E Laubscher 67, T McIntosh 62, A Watson 31 B Wright 28, S Gericke 6 for 75). *Clacton 194 for 9 (60 overs: S Gericke 42, S Facey 42, G Brown 38, B France 25, AA Watson 4 for 54). Clacton (9) drew with Norwich (15).

*Great Witchingham 220 for 5 (61 overs: S Arthurton jnr 68). Vauxhall Mallards 202 for 8 (51 overs: G Snyman 77, K McCone 4 for 52). Gt Witchingham (13) drew with Vauxhall Mallards (8).

Cambridge Granta 271 for 8 (62 overs: A Fullarton 69, J Handley 59, C Park 49, S Park 38, J Atkinson 25, B Blackwell 4 for 65). *Halstead 261 for 9 (58 overs: A Gupta 62, B Blackwell 60, J Wells 42, T Philp 35, O Ekers 27, C Park 3 for 35, J Coleman 3 for 41). Halstead (12) drew with Cambridge Granta (17).

*Swardeston 106 (34 overs: C Brown 5 for 15). Horsford 108 for 6 (36.4 overs: R O’Connell 67, M Eccles 4 for 47). Horsford (25) bt Swardeston (3) by 4 wkts.

* Denotes home team.