Despite a final day defeat to Haverhill, results elsewhere, including those in completely different leagues, meant that Dunmow have retained their Two Counties League Division Two status for the next season.

Haverhill chose to bat first on a slow wicket and early indications were that they were set to make a big score as Adam Dellar and Daniel Poole peppered the short boundary.

However, Matt Gibson was able to extract something from the wicket to have Dellar caught behind for 14.

Steve Hamlin and Baz Sewell also claimed wickets to leave Haverhill on 84-3 with their innings stuttering.

However, a 113-run partnership between Anthony Phillips (90) and Dan Pass (46) injected new life into the home side, with a mixture of big shots and quick running between the wickets.

Dunmow skipper Paul Reid rotated his bowlers as his side went in search of the bonus points to be claimed from taking wickets, and this paid off as Haverhill went from 195-3 to 229 all out.

Josh Down claimed 3-28 while the other wickets were shared between Sewell (3-47) and Gibson (2-39) while Jake Thompson and Hamlin both took one each.

The Dunmow reply suffered an early setback when Joe Gallant was bowled for six.

Down and Ollie Rooney took up the challenge and built a substantial partnership of 114 with Haverhill a bowler light due to an injury to Joe Woodley.

The match’s turning moment came when Down, who on 81 was looking well set for a hundred, was given out lbw when he appeared to have hit the ball.

Despite the continued battling of Rooney (55), the rest of the innings fell away in much the same way as had happened to Haverhill earlier, although skipper Reid can count himself very unlucky to have been run out backing up at the non-striker’s end.