Swardeston and Vauxhall Mallards set up a top of the table derby to relish after both chased down modest targets to maintain their positions at the head of the EAPL.

Swardeston remain top after their two-wicket victory over Copdock & Old Ipswichian at The Common.

Michael Eccles ripped through the visitors' top order, removing Adrian Nel, Martyn Cull and Jed Cawkwell for ducks as the visitors were reduced to four for three.

Simon Dyer joined in the act with only Christie Viljoen (17) showing resistance as Copdock limped to 31 for seven. Hugh Thomas (23) battled away with the tail adding 32 for the eighth wicket with James East (11) and the visitors managed to post 82 as Eccles finished with six for 36, Dyer taking three for 29.

In reply Swardeston soon struggled themselves with Michael Parlane, Jordan Taylor and Peter Lambert all dismissed for ducks as the leaders reeled to seven for three at lunch.

Lewis Denmark steadied the ship after the resumpton, adding 36 with Stephen Gray (20) for the fourth wicket and 25 for the fifth with Ian Tufts (16). Denmark finally fell after a mature 34 with the scores level and Eccles fell at the same score to give the game a closer look than was the case. Viljoen took five for 28.

Second-placed Mallards, who play host to Swardeston on Saturday, won by four wickets at Burwell. Paul Bradshaw's decision to bowl first was soon justified as Burwell were reduced to 58 for six, Bradshaw himself taking four of the wickets.

When Brett Stolworthy claimed the seventh wicket on 89 it seemed Burwell might struggle to reach three figures. But William Lawton (47) and Tom Williams (20) put on 37 for the eighth wicket and, although the ninth soon followed, Lawton and Joshua Vowden added another 21 before Bradshaw (five for 56) ended the resistance.

The Mallards reply did not start well with the early loss of Carl Amos prompting a slump to 57 for five before Alistair Shearer pulled things together.

Only one more wicket was lost with Shearer steering Mallards over the line with an unbeaten 65.

The Norfolk clubs' grip on the top two places was helped by a thumping 110-run defeat for third-place Saffron Walden against Clacton.

Last season's top two met at Great Witchingham, where the hosts were out for 94 after defending champions Cambridge Granta had made 186.

Craig Park (78) was the mainstay of the Granta batting, his only substantial help coming from Douglas Rice (41).

At 57 for four Witchingham were in the hunt when Tom Clarke made a devastating entry to the Granta attack. In 3.2 overs he took five wickets for 12 runs to spectacularly finish the match, the last being home number three Sam Arthurton, whose defiant 34 had included four sixes.

Horsford could not quite finish the job at Sudbury, despite an impressive total of 251 for seven declared, in which opener Jaik Mickleburgh had scored his 75 at a run a ball.

The Essex batsman had put on 107 for the first wicket with Matthew Spencely (31) and the momentum was maintained by Christopher Sabburg (23), Luke Caswell (29) and Nathan Perrry Warnes (32no).

Four wickets from Michael Warnes (4-33) left Sudbury hanging on, but hang on they did, led by opener Jay Phillips (44).

The day's other match was notable for an opening partnership of 267 between Tom Huggins (149no) and Sasha Ward (126) as Bury St Edmunds made 314 for one declared from 56 overs before Huggins completed a memorable day by taking seven for 39 as Halstead were bowled out for 166.

• Vauxhall Mallards (25 points) beat Burwell (5 points) at Mingay Park

Burwell: P Richer lbw Bradshaw 2, K Toner c Bradshaw b Addison 17, Daniel Jones LBW b Paul Bradshaw 0, P Summerskill c Goodenough b Bradshaw 10, G Goosen c Bradshaw b Stolworthy 19, M Richards c Goodenough b Bradshaw 2, Chris Summerskill LBW b Brett Stolworthy 19, W Lawton b Lipshaw 47, T Williams c Addison b Addison 20, M Bissett c Goodenough b Bradshaw 1, J Vowden Not Out 9; Extras 4; Total (45 overs) 150. Bowling: P Bradshaw 18-3-56-5, M Addison 15-4-43-2, B Stolworthy 7-1-28-2, S Lipshaw 5-0-20-1

Vauxhall Mallards: C Amos c Summerskill b Toner 5, D Turner b Richards 10, M Plater b Toner 19, C Schoeman b Toner 10, A Shearer Not Out 65, I Kermode b Richards 1, R Goodenough lbw Vowden 14, P Bradshaw Not Out 15; Extras 12; Total (51.1 overs) 151-6. Bowling: Marlon Richards 18-3-46-2, Kieran Toner 18-5-40-3, Mark Bissett 7.1-0-35-0, Joshua Vowden 8-2-28-1

• Cambridge Granta (30 points) beat Great Witchingham (5 points) at Wallis Park

Cambridge Granta: R Darkins c Groves b JM Spelman 3, J Cowan b W Lonsdale 8, J Atkinson c Page b JM Spelman 1, C Park c Collishaw b Lonsdale 78, D Rice c Collishaw b Seago 41, L Hill lbw JO Spelman 10, H Beddows c Arthurton JNR b Rogers 21, A Hooley c Arthurton JNR b Lonsdale 12, T Clarke b Rogers 6, R Singh Not Out 1, J Upton b Rogers 0; Extras 5; Total (59.5 overs) 186. Bowling: W Lonsdale 16-2-47-3, JM Spelman 13-7-22-2, M Seago 6-0-31-1, C Rogers 16.5-4-45-3, JO Spelman 8-0-40-1

Great Witchingham: JM Spelman c Beddows b Singh 25, C Rogers b Park 2, S Arthurton JNR c Cowan b Clarke 34, T Collishaw c Hill b Park 4, T Allan b Singh 6, S Arthurton SNR c Park b Clarke 8, J Page lbw Clarke 2, W Lonsdale lbw Clarke 0, JO Spelman b Clarke 0, Sam Groves lbw Hill 5, M Seago Not Out 0; Extras 8; Total (27.2 overs) 94. Bowling: Rajan Singh 10-3-30-2, C Park 10-3-21-2, J Upton 3-0-21-0, T Clarke 3.2-1-12-5, L Hill 1-0-4-1

• Sudbury (6 points) drew with Horsford (15 points) at Quay Lane

Horsford: M Spenceley b B Hyett 31, J Mickleburgh lbw D Batch 75, C Sabburg c Gallagher b K Fernando 23, J Wild c Fernando b Hyett 14, L Caswell b D Batch 29, M Warnes b D Batch 21, N Perry Warnes Not Out 32, M Wilkinson b K Fernando 14, Michael Warnes Not Out 4; Extras 8; Total (dec, 62 overs) 251-7. Bowling: J Gallagher 12-4-30-0, b moulton-day 6-0-43-0, D Batch 16-1-50-3, K Fernando 13-2-48-2, B Hyett 15-0-76-2

Sudbury: P Siegert lbw Warnes 7, J Phillips c Smith b Perry Warnes 44, K Fernando lbw M Warnes 9, J Poulson c Mickleburgh b Warnes 3, N Poole c Wild b Perry Warnes 22, D Batch lbw Wild 4, A Mansfield Not Out 20, W Shropshire c Wild b Brown 8, b moulton-day c Sabburg b Warnes 5, J Gallagher Not Out 4; Extras 12; Total (60 overs) 138-8.

Bowling: L Caswell 8-4-11-0, M Warnes 16-5-33-4, C Brown 14-5-42-1, J Wild 13-8-13-1, C Sabburg 5-0-26-0, N Perry Warnes 4-2-4-2

• Swardeston (25 points) beat Copdock and Old Ipswichian (4 points) at The Common

Copdock & Old Ipswichian: A Nel c Thomas b Eccles 0, A Gravell lbw Dyer 4, M Cull b Eccles 0, J Cawkwell lbw M Eccles 0, C Viljoen b Dyer 17, C Swallow c Parlane b Eccles 4, E Pope c Thomas b Dyer 3, H Thomas Not Out 23, J East c Gray b Eccles 11, T Jenkin b Eccles 2, J East c Dyer b Walker 8; Extras 10; Total (25.1 overs) 82. Bowling: M Eccles 13-3-36-6, S Dyer 10-4-29-3, G Walker 2.1-0-17-1

Swardeston: J Taylor b East 0, M Parlane lbw East 0, S Gray c Thomas b Jenkin 20, P Lambert b Viljoen 0, L Denmark c Swallow b Viljoen 34, I Tufts lbw Viljoen 16, C Taylor lbw Viljoen 0, G Walker Not Out 7, M Eccles b Viljoen 0, M Thomas Not Out 0; Extras 6; Total (33.1 overs) 83-8. Bowling: C Viljoen 13-4-28-5, J East 10.1-1-23-2, T Jenkin 6-2-14-1, C Swallow 4-0-16-0

• Clacton (30 points) beat Saffron Walden (5 points) by 100 runs at Vista Road

• Bury St Edmunds (30 points) beat Halstead (1 point) by 148 runs at Star Stile