HADLEIGH sprung the surprise of the second round of the Greene King IPA Suffolk Cup on Sunday.The Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship Division Three side dumped their Division One visitors Exning out by 37 runs at Friars Road.

HADLEIGH sprung the surprise of the second round of the Greene King IPA Suffolk Cup on Sunday.

The Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship Division Three side dumped their Division One visitors Exning out by 37 runs at Friars Road.

Hadleigh's top six batsmen were all among the runs, with Marlon Dias (74) and opener Olly Magnus (52) leading the way in their total of 290 for six.

Michael Howe then removed three of Exning's top four and Kalpesh Ellis claimed three for 57 as they were dismissed for 253.

Hadleigh skipper David Mann, at 41 easily the oldest member of the team, said: “It is great to get to a semi-final, especially with such a young side.

“We knew it was going to be tough, but they have not been playing well recently and we knew if we played anywhere near our best we had a chance of winning.

“To get 290 gave us a real chance and we kept picking wickets up at regular intervals to put them behind the required run rate, so that in the last dozen overs they needed to score at 11 or 12 an over.

“Michael Howe bowled really well. His spell really set us up. I was always one bowler short, but he got rid of three of their top batsmen to give us a great chance of winning.”

Hadleigh will be hoping to avoid Bury St Edmunds and Mildenhall in the semi-finals, where they will be joined by Woolpit, who comfortably disposed of Ipswich by seven wickets with nearly ten overs to spare.

John Manning (61) and Steve Bell (74) were among the runs in the home team's 228 for eight, but they made little impact with the ball as Woolpit reached the last four.

East Bergholt racked up 396 for seven, which is thought to be a competition record, as they disposed of Worlingworth by 147 runs in the first round of the Plate at Ganidsh Road.

Rhys May struck 166 and figured in a third-wicket stand of 153 with Doug Frame, who made 59, before being joined by Jon Tingey who made 96 as their fourth wicket alliance realised 108 runs.

Evergreen Lindsey Huggins bagged four for 16 as Eye were shot out for 80 and Easton cruised to a nine-wicket win, while St Margaret's could not raise a side and conceded to Sudbury.