An 81-run last wicket partnership was enough for Bury St Edmunds to take the game away from Saffron Walden CC in their top of the table East Anglian Premier League clash.

Bury had got off to a strong start with 113 for the first wicket thanks to the efforts of Will Routledge (55) and Nivethan Radhakrishnan (59).

Ben Harris brought the visitors back into the game with 6-61, reducing the hosts to 181-9.

But Alex Maynard (55*) and Alex Cruickshank (28*) had other ideas and they ensured Bury played out all their overs to put the pressure back on SWCC.

Needing 263 for the win, Walden lost a couple of early wickets but Alex Pierson (21) and Josh Down (26) steadied the ship before Harry Gallian (79) and Harris (31) pushed on.

The target proved too much though and Walden played out for the draw, finishing on 207-8.

Skipper Down said: "A good cricket wicket which played well for the batters and kept the bowlers interested as well.

"We played okay without firing on all cylinders. Ben Harris gave us a great chance with his wickets but we failed to capitalise on a good position.

"Bury have strength in depth with their bowling attack and in the end a draw wasn’t a bad result.

"We need to sharpen up our skills to hopefully bring back the winning thread."

A maiden century from Aussie Brynn Mendel (106) was too much for Burwell as Walden's second team won by 51 runs.

Mendel set the pace, supported by Luke Swanston (42) and the returning Ryan Deamer (39) and, after a flurry of wickets, skipper Tom Pluck (40) also got stuck in.

Chasing 281 in reply, Burwell got some runs on the board but scoreboard pressure was always going to be an issue and wickets started to fall.

Simon Donald (50) and Paul Summerskill (68) tried in vain but two wickets in an over by Stan Leech (3-49) proved too much to leave the seconds top of Cambs & Hunts Premier League Division Two.

The third and fourth teams lost too. Half centuries from Harry Duke (59) and Raymondo Mordini (50) were not enough for the threes away to Cambridge St Giles and they lost by five wickets.

Jon Buck returned tight figures of nine runs given up in his nine overs. 

Jake Manning's 64 allowed Helions Bumpstead to beat the fourths who couldn’t defend their target of 154.

The Womens & Girls XI beat Haverhill by 10 wickets to go top of the Cambs & Hunts Premier League Division One South.

Emmy Brown (2-13) helped keep the visitors to 89-4 in their overs and in reply it was Evie Borgeson and Emmy Brown, both 31 not out, who helped SWCC to the win in the 11th over.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Aythorpe Roding captain Paul Gravatt presents Graham Milbank with the man of the match award. Picture: ARCCAythorpe Roding captain Paul Gravatt presents Graham Milbank with the man of the match award. Picture: ARCC (Image: Aythorpe Roding Cricket Club)

The Mid Essex Cricket League Premier League saw Aythorpe Roding beat Basildon & Pitsea by 63 runs.

It was an excellent performance with both bat and ball and worthy of their first win of the season.

They batted first with 61 for the second wicket proving a good platform to build on.

Paul Gravatt managed 50 while his partner Rob Hyams managed 24 and even after the latter departed, there was good support.

Steve Chambers with 28 and a classy 11 from Manith De Silva got Aythorpe to 192.

The reply didn't get to 30 overs as the Aythorpe bowlers enjoyed themselves in the sunshine.

There was another second-wicket stand that threatened to provide a platform, this one to the tune of 44, but once departed, wickets started to fall at regular intervals.

In the end it needed four quick wickets from Graham Milbank in less than five overs, at the cost of just five runs, to seal the win for Roding.

De Silva managed 2-63 while there was 3-18 in seven overs for Joe Grant.

It was another week of mixed fortunes for High Roding as the first team lost but both the seconds and thirds won.

The ones took on Rettendon at The Meadow and after winning the toss elected to bat.

Charlie Knightley and Steve Molloy got off to a steady start, but once Molloy was out wickets began to fall at an alarming rate.

Knightley was eventually joined by Archie Halls with the score on 123-8 and these two put on a wonderful partnership of 105 to help Roding finish on 228-9.

Knightley had another splendid innings of 112 not out and Halls 31.

The Rettendon innings started well for Roding with two early wickets but another century by J Robbins held their innings together and they eventually reached 232-6.

The seconds did get the better of Rettendon on the road. The home side also scored 232-6 with Charlie Smith taking 2-32.

In reply Roding's Mark Gilfrin scored 81 not out, Tahir Khan 46 and Harry Warnes 44 to allow Roding to reach 233-4 in the 38th over.

For the second week running, the thirds won by one wicket off the penultimate ball of the match.

Coghams score a competitive 259-5 with William Smith being the pick of the Roding bowlers on 3-35.

Tom Shrager then scored 72, Jonny Smith 45 to put them on the road to victory.

They still needed 32 runs off the last four overs and it was left to the younger colts members to see them home with Charlie Martin scoring the winning run.