Rain proved a thorn in the side of cricket teams once again but there were still some meaningful games able to be played.

Aythorpe Roding have made a perfect start to their Mid Essex Cricket League Premier Division season with three wins from three.

The latest was a seven-wicket success at Stock that put them top of the pile, five points ahead of Rayleigh who they play at home on Saturday.

They won the toss and elected to field first which proved a good move by skipper Paul Gravatt, bowling the hosts out for 81 inside 25 overs.

Full credit though again went to the five Aythorpe Roding bowlers with Andy Clarke leading the way.

He finished with figures of 4-47 in 10 overs, closely followed by Graham Milbank who took three wickets for just one run in two overs.

And it only took 21 overs to claim the win. Gravatt top-scored with 25 not out while Clarke managed 22.

High Roding's perfect start in Division Two was ended by the weather, their match at East Hanningfield & Great Burstead being abandoned because of rain.

They did manage to bat for their 35 overs, scoring 166-9 in the main thanks to a stunning 111 from opener Steve Molloy, scored off 100 balls.

Freddie Burns also chipped in with 21 but with conditions getting worse the reply lasted until the 15th over with the hosts up to 74-1.

The second team did play to a finish and a winning one too against Epping Foresters in Division Seven.

Epping could only muster 105-8 and Roding knocked off the runs in the 25th over, Alex Lodge and Alistair Bushell both scoring 34.

In Division Two of the Two Counties League, Dunmow fell to a 27-run defeat at home to Bury St Edmunds.

Batting first the visitors made 160-7 in a game reduced to 30 overs per side. Mel Hussain claimed 3-40 for Dunmow and Baz Sewell 2-38.

But in reply they were all out for 123 in the penultimate over. They had felt in the game at the change over but struggled to build effective partnerships, 32 being the highest one mustered.

Stuart Felstead took the attack to the opposition with some aggressive hitting straight down the ground but when he was out for 54 the writing was on the wall.

A late flurry from skipper Paul Reid (26) proved in consequential and leaves Dunmow still looking for their first win of the season.