Cricket round-up: League leaders High Roding storm to win

Winning the toss and batting first, they made 287-6 in their 45 overs, before bowling the visitors out for a 160-run success.

They now lead Springfield by three points after six games.

Things did not start well mind after they won the toss, losing two wickets for 30 runs before consecutive solid partnerships got them up to their final total.

Tom Cherry led the individual scoring with an unbeaten 59 while Ben Chillingworth (50), Freddie Duke (42), George Halls (28), Will Radbourne (28) and Freddie Burns (25*) all produced valuable contributions.

Sam South took five wickets for High Roding Cricket Club. Picture: HRCC (Image: High Roding Cricket Club)

But while the runs were spread about, the wickets were contained between three bowlers.

Sam South was the pick of them with 5-30 although George Halls' 3-26 and 2-7 from Travis Dyer were nothing to be sniffed at either.

The seconds host Boreham Royals and will go into it on the back of a very good win at Eastwood.

Roding lost the toss and managed to scramble to 132 on a very green wicket, George Haddon top scoring with 38 while Charlie Smith batting at number 10 scored was not out with 28.

But in reply, 4-11 from Will Davis did the damage, aided by Amit Tulaskar's 3-17, as Eastwood were all out for 118.

Aythorpe Roding's First Division match at home to Rayleigh was exciting but they are searching for their first win of the year after an 85-run loss.

Opting to field first, the home bowlers got wickets at regular intervals and looked in fine fettle at 90-8.

Things changed quickly after that though as number 10 Mihir Patel (25) put on a 129-run partnership with Sam Harmsworth, who went on to score 62 not out.

Extras were also a big hindrance to Aythorpe, conceding 83 of them, as Rayleigh got to 232.

Manith De Silva claimed 4-32 and took three catches while there was 4-42 from Malaka Kiriella.

The reply  got off to a terrible start though with the first three batsmen sent packing without a run on the board.

And had it not been for 52 from Steve Chambers, hitting one six and six fours, the final result could have been a lot worse, Azeem Akhtar (13) and Denu Tennakoon (14) the only other batsmen to get into double figures as they finished on 147.

Aythorpe Roding go to fourth-placed South Loughton on Saturday.

Saffron Walden continued the good times following their first win of the East Anglian Premier League season, as they earned a draw away to Sudbury.

They started in fine form with the bat, setting a superb 350 from their 64 overs with solid contributions across the team.

Nick Taylor made a conservative 74 from 140 balls while Tom Bonham (60 from 51), Bryn Mendel (63 in 42) and Ben Harris (48 from 32) opted for a more aggressive approach.

Five consecutive maiden overs from Daniel Farmer, and a score of 64-2 after 16 overs, seemingly had Sudbury in survival mode, but Sri Lankan pro Manelker de Silva showed patience, resilience and class as he made 129 not out, the unbroken 180-run partnership with Ben Reece (65*) getting them closer to the target but well away from thoughts of defeat.

They finished on 288-4.

Other SWCC senior teams fared less well.

The seconds lost by 9 wickets to league leaders Ramsey while the thirds had an agonising two-run loss to Cambridge Old Monks and the fourths went down to Fulbourn Institute.

The ladies fared better though, picking up a resounding 10-wicket win over Worlington, and the club also enjoyed a fantastic Sunday as more than 85 players in the U7 to U10 year groups trained at the Anglo-American Playing Fields.

Saffron Walden Cricket Club juniors train and play games. Picture: LORRAINE CHITSON (Image: Lorraine Chitson)

On the nearby Nursery End pitch, a fierce battle was being fought in two back-to-back matches between the U8 and U9 teams from the club.

As there is no U8 league, the U8 team, managed by SWCC former player and legend Scott Baker, play in the same Cambridgeshire league as the U9.

The older group took the wins on this occasion.