CRICKET: Bourne Vale just missed their first win of the season in the Suffolk Premier League when they lost by nine runs to Woodbridge & Old Woodbridgians on Saturday.

CRICKET

BOURNE Vale just missed their first win of the season in the Suffolk Premier League when they lost by nine runs to Woodbridge & Old Woodbridgians on Saturday.

Chris Mutton (five for 29) and Mel Jones (three for 19) had combined well to dismiss the visitors for 90, only opener Adrian Barham (31) and skipper Ed Parker (20) reaching double figures for Woodbridge.

Duncan Carragher (14) and Steve Smith (32) gave Bourne Vale a solid start but they lost wickets steadily and David Driver wrapped up the tail with a burst of four for nine, the Ipswich side ending on 81 all out.

A feature of the game was veteran umpire John Boast granting six lbw appeals, four against Bourne Vale. "John said the ball was keeping low," explained home skipper Smith, but he still felt it was a world record for the Suffolk Alliance chairman!

Thurston knocked Eye & District off the top of the table with a 27-run win. Richard Wilkins, the former Colchester United footballer who is now manager of Bury Town, top-scored with 50 for Thurston, supported by 38 from his brother Martin, 40 from Richard Baker and 30 from Neil Wallis in a total of 200 for nine.

Eye openers Paul Shelley (21) and Ian Crane (44) made a steady start, but from then on it was a case of skipper Christian Whiting against the Thurston attack. Whiting was left unbeaten on 79 but he did not receive much support and the innings ended at 173, Martin Wilkins picking up five for 55.

Thurston are alongside two other teams who still have unbeaten records.

Worlingworth won by seven wickets at Nowton with plenty to spare. Simon Lord (42) and Adie Walker (45 not out) lifted the Nowton total to 145 as Simon Rodwell collected five for 52. Eric Davy (39), Zach Rush (53 not out) and Rob Nesling (30) swept Worlingworth to victory.

Australian Cameron Monteith made a big impact for Felixstowe Corinthians. Stowupland had posted 152 for nine as another Colchester United footballer, Gavin Johnson, led the way with 70. Julian Gibbs took the bowling honours with six for 36.

Monteith then opened the Corinthians innings and guided them to a six-wicket win with an unbeaten 75 with three overs in hand.

There was a close finish at Walsham where the home side got home by two wickets against Tuddenham. David Cross (46), Kieran Harris (32) and Tom Borrett (22) were the leading scorers in Tuddenham's 150, with Pete Knight (five for 29) and Mark Rothon (four for 63) doing the damage with the ball.

Paul Newman's 28 was the main contributor for Walsham until ninth-wicket pair Rick Meyer (24 not out) and Chris Manning (28 not out) carried them to victory.

David Cross and Kevin Poole both took four wickets for Tuddenham.

Sunday's Intermediate Division matches were all cancelled or abandoned, but on Saturday Bury St Edmunds III had beaten Kedington by 51 runs.