A second success
Thursday, 3rd June 1999.
A comfortable weekend double saw Exning go top of the Jaygate Homes Two Counties Championship first division with an unbeaten record and sail through the first round of the Suffolk Cup.
They came out top of a tight league game against Copdock and Old Ipswichians in a game played on a difficult used Exning Park pitch. "It was the one we had used the previous weekend," said Exning spokesman Tony Catley. "It is something we have done in the past, but this time we did not get away with it. It was slow and low."
The home side were put in and struggled to 148 with Peter Allen making a top score 37 against Suffolk all-rounder Chris Seal (4 for 39) and South African Warren van Zyl (3 for 42).
It seemed that might not be enough particularly while James East, the son of the former Essex spinner, was going so well. He made 70 but the rest crumbled against Nathan Gage (5 for 43) and Keith Metcalf (3 for 17) and they were all out for 140.
"It was the sort of pitch where it was difficult to drive and I should think that 50 per cent of the wickets went to catches in front of the wicket, " said Cately.
Exning had a much easier task when they began the defence of their Suffolk Cup crown at St. Margaret's Ipswich, the side they beat in last season's final.
Morning rain reduced the game to 45 overs a side and the home side, who are rooted at the bottom of the Two Counties Division Two, were never in the hunt.
They could only make 112 for 7 from their overs contained by the joint efforts of Russell Catley (3 for 14), Gage (2 for 18) and Graeme Howlett (2 for 17) who each completed their nine-over stints. Russell Catley then hammered 61 and Exning cruised through by seven wickets inside 20 overs.
In the Suffolk Cup, Steve Lankester's 113 helped guide Mildenhall to a big first-round victory over Eye.
Martin Lyes chipped in with 61 as Mildenhall reached 310 for 5, before bowling out Eye for less than 200.
Lakenheath are also into the second round after beating Stowmarket, as they bounced back from a disappointing Suffolk Premier League defeat to Tuddenham the previous day.
Worlington are another side still in cup contention after beating Sudbury in their first round meeting.
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