Report: Dave Reeder
Photos: Dale Clarke
Swardeston lost a tight game at home to Copdock and Old Ipswichian by two wickets in their Anglian Vehicle Linings East Anglian Premier League match.
Swardeston won the toss and chose to bat first and after a steady start lost both openers Ben Chapman (9) and Ben France (36) in quick succession.
Captain Alfie Cooper and Tim Ward, making his debut, put on 54 for the third wicket before Cooper (23) was adjudged LBW and Ward (33) soon followed when he was given run out.
Peter Lambert and Saranja Rajaguru had taken the score to 150 before Lambert was bowled for 21. Rajaguru batted well before he was bowled for 42.
Matthew Taylor (26), Adam Todd (24no) and Elliott Fox (20) all made positive contributions at the tail end of the innings as the hosts finished on 266 for 8.
In reply the visitors started brightly but three quick wickets reduced them to 54/3, Adam Todd with two and Rajaguru with the wickets.
Mihlali Mpongwana (39) was in destructive form, smashing four sixes before being bowled by the excellent Rajaguru.
Alex Oxley and Jacob Marston then put on a vital partnership of 92 before Marston (35) was run out by Peter Lambert’s sharp reactions.
Todd (3 for 56) took another wicket and Rajaguru another two further wickets, to finish with excellent figures of 4 for 23, as Swardeston kept in the hunt.
But Oxley remained, and his stand-out innings of 81 was match-defining as the visitors got home with 11 balls to spare.
Scorecard: https://swardeston.play-cricket.com/website/results/7205632
Livestream replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGFMxsI2gi8
