CRICKET: Browns continued their revival in this season's Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship Division One with their second consecutive victory.

CRICKET

BROWNS continued their revival in this season's Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship Division One with their second consecutive victory.

The Rushmere-based side started the season with five defeats and looked to be in relegation trouble.

However, they gained a two-wicket success against Halstead last week and followed this with a convincing 104 run victory on Saturday against Braintree.

Batting first, Browns reached 80 for four before a fifth-wicket partnership of 100 between Matt Perry and Joe Lander took the total on to a respectable 208 for seven. Perry ended on 65 not out while Lander made 40 before being bowled by Dave Hale.

Braintree's only resistance came from opening batsman Neil Cox who made 34 before Australian Brendan Meagher bowled Browns to victory with four for 36, assisted by John Manning who took three for 24. Meagher took five wickets the previous week against Halstead and his form could be crucial if Browns are to stay in Division One.

At the top of the division, leaders Tattingstone suffered their first defeat of the campaign as Copdock &OIs cruised to a nine-wicket victory.

For the first time in the league this season Tattingstone's batting line-up failed with five players being out for a duck. One of these was Stuart Hammond who had been scoring freely. Copdock off-spinner James Druitt did the most damage as he took five for 28 from 12 overs.

Copdock easily reached their required target with Suffolk player Tristan Jervis scoring an unbeaten 61. Copdock captain John East said: "It was a good result and was the first game they had lost this season and was important not to let them get too far away from us."

Last year's Division One winners Exning have shown they will be challenging for the title again and are in fourth place following a win in a high-scoring game against Halstead.

In-form Suffolk batsman Tim Catley made 143 not out as Exning registered an impressive 265 for five. Halstead came close to reaching their target after 67 from Australian Matthew Spatcher and 56 from Ipswich-based captain Robert Gregg but ended up losing by seven runs.

With Tattingstone being defeated Sudbury missed a chance to go to the top of the table as they suffered a four-wicket defeat at Mistley.

In the Second Division, Ipswich and East Suffolk and Easton are in a good position to challenge for the two promotion spots. Both sides are in the top four and there is already a big points difference between Easton fourth and Lakenheath fifth.

Easton beat Lakenheath by 48 runs after scores of 77 from Jolyon Kimmerling and an unbeaten 50 from Nigel Rackham. Bowlers Robert Fernley and Lindsay Huggins sealed the victory with eight wickets between them.

Ipswich and East Suffolk lost for the first time in the league as they were defeated by seven runs against Mildenhall and are in third place.

St Margaret's recorded their third victory of the season with a 47-run success against Halstead seconds in Division Three.

Achilles are third in Division Four after a 22-run victory against Essex side Eight Ash Green.

It was a good weekend for Ipswich and East Suffolk seconds as they recorded two victories in two days.

They had previously made a poor start to the season with four defeats but this weekend could prove to be the turning point in their season. They defeated Harwich seconds on Saturday by 73 runs then beat Browns seconds by two wickets the next day.

Another side to record two victories in two days was Tattingstone's second team in Division Six. They beat high-flying Witham on Saturday by 27 runs before comfortably beating Mildenhall seconds by 8 wickets.

Indian all rounder Darshan Silvalkar, a recent addition to the Tattingstone ranks, helped the team towards victory on Sunday with an unbeaten 53.

In the Sunday challenge Bury St Edmunds proved too strong for Browns and won by six wickets.

SUFFOLK Under 14s schools played their first full game of the season against Hertfordshire at Bishops Stortford.

Hertfordshire were asked to bat first on a damp wicket and reached 179 for 5 after 51 overs. Despite 59 from Oliver Wade and an unbeaten 26 from Craig Estlea, the game ended in a draw as Suffolk reached 159 for 6 after 49 overs.

Suffolk play Lincolnshire at Long Sutton this Sunday and the team is: J Butler, P Clarke O Wade, O Crosby, H Dunham J Wybar, M Dillon, J Heather, D Kelly, M Nunn, W Robinson, S Walpole.