Bury St Edmunds maintained their winning start at both 1st and 2nd team level on Saturday with wins against Copdock. The 3rd and Sunday 2nd team lost.

Away from home the 1st team were asked to bat first and produced an excellent score of 265.8. Openers Will Routledge and Alex Maynard put on 45 before Maynard was out for 18 with Routledge following for 22 both wickets for Andy Hanby. Will Jarman (5) had a short stay and at 53.3 Bury were in trouble but it was the experience of Justin Bishop (35) and Harry Gallian (60) who put on 91 for the third wicket that recovered the innings, but both were out on 160.5. This was Gallian’s maiden half century for the club which included 7 x 4 and 1 x 6. The innings needed a rebuild Tom Rash (24) and Josh Cantrell did that adding 55 more runs with Cantrell carrying the innings forward scoring 59 off just 42 deliveries that included 9 x 4. Ben Harris was 15 not out as the innings closed. Hanby the stand out bowler with 4.62.
The home reply followed a similar pattern the big wicket of Sam Arthurton was taken on 21 Justin Bishop taking the catch off Tom Rash who also removed fellow opener Liam Mays (7) and from 29.2 the innings was rebuilt however Alistair Allchin made the significant breakthrough taking the wickets of Alex Oxley (14) and Jacob Marston first ball making the score 70.4.
Ishaan Rakesh battled for the home team making 63 off 95 deliveries in over two hours at the wicket before Ben Harris caught him off Cantrell. Thomas Harper was out for 25 bowled by Tom Davey and Ben Whittaker took 3 further wickets of the late order for his 10 overs. Copdock were all out for 190 a good all round team display by the visitors with 4 catches for Justin Bishop next week Bury visit reigning champions Sawston and Babraham.

At the Victory Ground home captain James McKinney lost the toss and was invited to bat a decision which helped the home batsman in particular James Sturgeon, the first wicket of Max Whittaker fell on 83 to a superb catch on the mid-wicket boundary by Raymond Hlatshwago for 26 Ned Stanton scored 40 taking the score to 172.2 but it was Sturgeon with a remarkable score of 150 that proved the star performance of the day an innings that included 19 x 4 and 2 x 6 when he was 4th out on 323. Alex Cruickshank came in at the 3rd wicket on 183 and joined Sturgeon scoring a terrific 87 not out off just 53 deliveries with 11 x 4 and 4 x 6 as the bowlers tired giving a final total of 339.5.
The Copdock innings never looked like scoring the required runs losing wickets at regular intervals Barney Messer top scored with 27 and Felix Del Mar and Billy Foyster scored 15 each Adam Kizis with 3.38 Jacob Meredith 4.28 off their 9 overs and Hayden Smith with 1.19 and Oliver Riddick 2.7 as the visitors were all out for 95. Sturgeons memorable day was completed as he took 4 catches behind the wicket.

Bury’s Two Counties Division 6 match was at home to West Mersea. Bury batted first scoring 139 with Vivek Rajagopal scoring 61, Luke Conway taking 3.31 for the visitors, West Mersea reached the target with two wickets down Gareth Mason scoring 63 not out remarkably Vivek bowled 9 maiden overs and took the two wickets this is something very unlikely to be repeated 54 dot balls a scorers dream!

On Sunday the 2nd team entertained Twinstead Bury scored 238.4 captain Simon Aldous making 71 and John Hartwright 84 with useful contributions from Krishna Sinha (32) and Ben Baldock (21) The visitors reached the target thanks to an excellent 111 from A.Surga and 45 not out from Andy Ward.

Greene King Players of the Week: James Sturgeon, Josh Cantrell, Harry Gallian, Ben Whittaker, Alex Cruickshank, Jacob Meredith, Vivek Rajagopal, Simon Aldous and John Hartwright.

Byron Burgers Player of the Week: James Sturgeon who will enjoy a £25 voucher for the best burger in town!

Next week on Saturday the 1st team are away to Sawston and Babraham the 2nd team are at home to Abberton 3rd team at home to East Bergholt 2nds and 4th team away to Tuddenham 2nds

On Sunday the 1st team are at home to Acton and 2nd team away to Hadleigh.

Photo Credits: Hedley Wright