Dunmow Cricket Club (120 all out) were comfortable winners as their bowlers tore through opponents Ipswich & East Suffolk (40 all out) in Two Counties League Division Two to win by 80 runs.

These are two teams with historically fragile batting and they managed to dodge the showers long enough for Dunmow’s stronger bowler line-up to emerge victorious on a day when only six games in 11 divisions were played to a finish.

Dunmow losing the toss looked like a crucial part of the game, especially as openers Ali and Swanston were back in the pavilion with the score only at seven.

Ipswich bowler Lander ran through the top six, the batsmen falling to a combination of poor shot selection and good bowling.

Joe Gallant was the only batsman to make double figures with 25.

However, James Reid took the fight back the hosts.

After a delay for rain, Reid built partnerships of 19 with Matt Gibson and 46 for the ninth wicket with Jake Thompson before he was last man out for a well-made 49 as part of a total of 120.

The Dunmow opening bowlers of Gibson and Baz Sewell claimed early wickets with a tight line and length, with wickets falling in the fourth, sixth, 10th and 12th overs to leave Ipswich & East Suffolk reeling at 21-5.

The heavens then opened and Dunmow feared they would not be able to complete the job that they had started.

However, huge credit to the umpires and the hosts who did everything that they could to get the game completed.

Upon resumption wickets continued to fall with such regularity that when Sewell claimed his sixth in the 22nd over, Dunmow had bowled Ipswich & East Suffolk all out for a paltry 40. Sewell finished with 10.1-1-25-6 and Gibson 11-3-14-4.

Dunmow 2nds were left frustrated in their efforts to go top of the table of Division Nine South.

Rain forced the cancellation of their game against West Mersea 2nds, with the visitors struggling early doors with the bat at 37-5.