Saturday saw the climax to the Thurlow Nunn East Anglian Premier League never before or likely again would the league go into a final round of matches when 5 of the 6 had a bearing on which club would end up in the play offs to remain a further season. The day started with Bury on 251, Great Witchingham 252, Frinton 255, Ashmanhaugh and Barton 266 and Mildenhall 272 potentially any one could end at the basement.
In the event Frinton won at Sawston and Babraham having bowled the champions who were short of some key players and had won the toss and batted scoring 125 Essex players Charlie Bennett (3.24) and Mackenzie Jones (3.44) doing much of the damage Frinton recovered from 36.3 to win by 4 wickets with Bennett 39 not out and Jones 23 not out. The game was completed in 61 overs before any rain.
Mildenhall won the toss and elected to field at home to Swardeston the visitors scored 128 with Peter Lambert scoring 37 in reply Mildenhall reached the target with 5 wickets down. The game was completed 59 overs leaving both clubs safe.
Bury St Edmunds meanwhile had a late start delayed by 30 minutes as the ground was covered by hail late afternoon Friday Having lost the toss and suffered due to damp pitch the week before home captain Josh Cantrell called correct and had no hesitation in asking Whitham to bat the visitors lost Harrison McDonald for the first of James Sturgeons 3 catches to Ben Harris with 12 runs scored it soon became 31.3 as both Ben Whittaker and Alex Cruickshank had both Chris Huntington (7) and Michael Goodwin (17) dismissed. Cruickshank had Jake Wakelin stumped by Sturgeon for 12 on 67.5.
Cantrell came on to bowl and produced one of the best performances of his career taking 6 wickets to see Witham all out for 98, without realising it Cantrell had taken a hat-trick of wickets with the last delivery of the 28th over and first two of the 30th. In fact his last two balls took wickets so he starts next season on another hatrick!
Bury team showed a level of commitment in the field determined to retain their EAPL status but it would not be plain sailing after lunch Bury opened their innings and soon lost 3 wickets with just 15 scored the wicket was certainly not easy and the Witham score proved that at 15.09 down came the rain accompanied by lighting and at that stage Bury needed to have scored 33 runs to win by the Duckworth Lewis Stern method but were 18.3 after 14.1 overs as the teams came off it became apparent that Ashmanhaugh were well placed having scored 260.9 at home to Copdock but Sudbury had done their Suffolk rivals a big favour by scoring 265.9 at Great Witchingham thanks in the main to a superb 131 from opener Ned Overbury who was 7th out and had faced West Indian fast bowler Chemar Holder (0.39) and Monty Panesar (1.57) in fact the 5.50 from Charlie Rogers was the best bowling performance. Great Witchingham were on 85.6 when the rain stop play.
The EAPL reached the bizarre situation of both Bury and Great Witchingham at that time being on 256 points which left league officials frantically researching the rule book.
However the sun came out at Bury St Edmunds and by 16.14 the many covers had been removed and the players took to the field Bury needed 81 runs with opener Will Routledge on 10 and Cantrell yet to score the damage had been done by Greg Stephens with all 3 wickets from 7 overs for just 11 runs at the other end Sam Greer had bowled 7.1 overs for just 5 runs.
The two players gradually took control the key being both opening bowlers reaching their maximum of 10 overs each. Bury were 44.3 after 20 overs both survived some appeals and the odd bit of luck probably overdue the players showed grit and courage Routledge had travelled all the way back from Exeter University to play and was not going give his wicket away, Cantrell played with a degree of panache and the target became close Bury scored the 99 runs as Routledge remained 35 not out from 105 deliveries in 105 minutes of batting (Geoffrey Boycott would have been proud) and Cantrell 46 not from 64 balls in 69 minutes. Bury had secured 25 points that secured their EAPL status as Great Witchingham were left bottom as rain prevented any further play. Ashmanhaugh bowled out Copdock for 212 from a reduced target of 245 to win their fourth consecutive match.
Hence Great Wichingham finished at the bottom ironically for the first time all season the last 3 weeks had seen long term basement dwellers Ashmanhaugh, followed by Frinton and then Bury. Asmanhaugh had won the last 5 games to save their status and Bury 3 of the last 5. But 4 defeats at the end sealed Great Witchingham’s fate.
On Sunday they lost the play off at Ramsey while Halstead lost to North Runcorn next week the two play for EAPL promotion.

The equally exciting news as a result of the 1st team staying up the 2nd team have won promotion to the Two Counties League Division One just a league below the first team. On Saturday the players travelled to Division Two champions Mistley and beat them in a match reduced to 20 overs a side due to the weather.
Bury scored 185.4 thanks to captain James McKinney scoring 71 not out from just 31 deliveries Archie Jones was 3rd out for 39 and Zyan Imam 47 not out from a run a ball. Ronnie Taylor taking 3.27 for the home side. Mistley’s reply never really got going after Tom Davey had both openers caught from his opening spell, Joe Corder and Josh Owen each had a wicket Oliver Riddick two wickets before young Krishna Sinha wrapped up the tail with 4.19. as Mistley were all out for 123. The season ended with Mistley 352 points Bury 332 Sudbury 305 and Copdock 290.
The final success of the weekend was on Sunday when Bury St Edmunds beat Sudbury at Bardwell in the final of the Suffolk Cup report later and of the Presentation Night held on Saturday.
Greene King Players of the week Josh Cantrell, Will Routledge and all the Bury 2nd team.
Byron Burgers Player of the week Krishna Sinha.
Next week the Sunday team play their final match away to Acton.

From: Hedley Wright
Sent: 14 September 2025 10:51
To: David Barker
Subject: Photos from cricket Bury St Edmunds CC 1st XI v Witham CC 1st XI 13/9/25

Good morning David

Photos are now online at http://bit.ly/4n0JxtA. Fewer than usual, I’m afraid I couldn’t make it until the afternoon but it was great to see Josh follow up his six wicket haul with a great performance with the bat.

Kind regards, Hedley

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Hedley Wright
Hedley Wright Photography
www.hedleywrightphotography.com