Swardeston had to settle for a draw in their belated season-opener, despite dominating their game against Great Witchingham.

After being invited to bat New Zealander Michael Parlane marked his return to the club with 88. With Peter Lambert (47) he laid the foundations with a third-wicket partnership of 114.

Jeremy Elliott, on his EAPL debut, hit a quickfire undefeated 38 as the hosts racked up eight batting points by posting 234-6.

Left-arm spinner James Hale claimed 3-27 as the hosts chased quick runs at the end of their allotted 50 overs after early morning dampness delayed the start.

Witchingham, who pipped Swardeston to runners-up spot last term, were soon in trouble with Simon Dyer (2-16) and Michael Eccles (2-24) reducing them to 33-4.

Sam Arthurton survived some early scares to top score with 35, but Mark Thomas removed the middle order taking 3-7 including Arthurton, clean bowling all three.

Hale and Jonathan Spelman steadied the ship as the visitors earned a draw, defiantly batting out 15 overs and adding just eight runs.

An exciting encounter between Vauxhall Mallards and hosts Bury St Edmunds ended in a draw, with Bury's final pair at the wicket just 10 runs short of the 207 victory total.

Put into bat, Mallards 206 total was based around a disciplined 61 from Alistair Shearer and a late flurry from skipper Paul Bradshaw, who hit 33.

Mallards bowlers made early progress and at 118-6 were well on top but brisk scoring from middle order man Justin Bishop (72) kept the hosts in with a shout. The game ended on a knife-edge with honours even.

Reigning champions Cambridge Granta's hopes of retaining their title took a knock with their second defeat of the campaign.

After winning the toss their decision to put Saffron Walden into bat was made to look unsound as the Essex outfited rattled up a mammoth 314 for 3 before declaring in the 58th over.

Walden, who battled against relegation last season, gave themselves the perfect confidence boosts as their batsmen enjoyed the run-fest. A sparkling third-wicket partnership between former Australia Under 19 player Glen Batticciotto and Simon Parmenter took the score from 85-2 to 314-3.

Left-hander Batticciotto hit 13 fours and two sixes in his 115-ball 127 while Parmenter's unbeaten 100 in 127 balls included 10 fours and two sixes.

Granta were never unable to maintain the tempo required despite the best efforts of Craig Park (74) and Robert Wooley (75), eventually falling 91 runs short of their target.

Batticciotto cemented his man of the match claims with 4 for 43 as Granta's reply ran out of steam.

Newcomers Copdock and Old Ipswichians enjoyed a crushing 10-wicket success at home to Burwell.

The Cambridgeshire outfit were in trouble from the outset, stumbling to 103 all out in 41 overs with Chris Swallow claiming 4 for 38 for the hosts. Adrian Nell hit a blistering unbeaten 67 and Archie Gravell weighed in with 36 not out as the duo completed their task in the 19th over.

• EAPL Scoreboard

• Bury St Edmunds (10 points) drew with Vauxhall Mallards (11) at Victory Ground.

Vauxhall Mallards: C Amos b Rash 23, D Turner c Lomas b Bishop 8, C Sanderson lbw Bishop 0, C Schoeman b Rash 5, A Shearer c Bellward b Robotham 61, M Platter c Lomas b Rash 22, R Goodenough c Bellward b Nunn 5, P Bradshaw c Huggins b Rash 33, B Stolworthy c Bellward b Bishop 11, S Lipshaw run out 6, M Addison not out 4; extras 28. Total (66 overs) 206. Bowling: J Bishop 15-4-43-3, MJ Nunn 8-2-28-1, T Rash 17-2-46-4, T Huggins 14-1-40-0, S Rees 4-0-19-0, T Robotham 8-2-23-1.

Bury St Edmunds: T Huggins lbw Bradshaw 18, MJ Nunn c Lipshaw b Addison 0, C Lomas b Addison 9, Simon Rees c Lipshaw b Schoeman 42, J Bishop c Shearer b Bradshaw 72, T Adams b Lipshaw 2, T Rash c Shearer b Schoeman 8, B Bellward c Goodenough b Bradshaw 28, J Lofts c Goodenough b Addison 8, J McKinney not out 6, T Robotham not out 0; extras 4. Total (9 wickets, 54 overs) 197. Bowling: P Bradshaw 15-6-42-3, M Addison 12-2-39-3, B Stolworthy 7-1-25-0, C Schoeman 11-2-35-2, S Lipshaw 9-2-54-1.

• Saffron Walden (3) beat Cambridge Granta (4) by 90 runs.

Saffron Walden: M Stewart c Sewell b S Park 40, N Gladwin run out C Park 23, G Batticciotto b Marsh 127, S Parmenter not out 100; extras 24. Total (3 wickets dec, 57.5 overs) 314. Bowling: R Woolley 14-1-37-0, S Marsh 4.5-0-22-1, R Singh 8-0-45-0, S Park 6-0-27-1, R Darkins 11-0-69-0, J Upton 7-0-45-0, M Holden 5-0-23-0, J Atkinson 2-0-30-0.

Cambridge Granta: A Sewell b Salt 5, J Atkinson c Parmenter b Powell 32, R Darkins c Gladwin b Batcheler 3, C Park lbw Batcheler 74, S Park b Powell 5, R Woolley c-b Batticciotto 75, M Holden lbw Parmenter 1, P Clarke lbw Batticciotto 0, J Upton not out 10, R Singh c Gladwin b Batticciotto 0, S Marsh b Batticciotto 0; extras 19. Total (56.1 overs) 224. Bowling: N Batcheler 14-2-28-2, P Salt 5-0-29-1, G Batticciotto 9.1-1-43-4, A MarjoriBanks 7-2-24-0, B Powell 12-2-31-2, J Sneath 5-0-36-0, S Parmenter 4-0-27-1.

• Swardeston (14) drew with Great Witchingham (6) at The Common.

Swardeston: M Parlane lbw Hale 88, S Gray + lbw b Jonathan Spelman 18, L Denmark c Groves b James Spelman 0, P Lambert lbw b Hale 47, J Elliott not out 38, M Thomas c Sam Arthurton b Hale 0, I Tufts c Sam Arthurton b James Spelman 11, G Walker not out 8; extras 23. Total (6 wickets, 50 overs) 233. Bowling: W Lonsdale 12-0-63-0, James Spelman 13-2-39-2, Jonathan Spelman 9-3-36-1, C Rogers 7-1-25-0, Sam Arthurton 5-0-37-0, J Hale 4-0-27-3.

Great Witchingham: James Spelman lbw Dyer 11, C Rogers b Eccles 4, Sam Arthurton b Thomas 39, T Collishaw b Dyer 4, T Allan lbw b Eccles 0Shaun Arthurton b Thomas 8, O Howes b Thomas 2, J Hale not out 5, Jonathan Spelman not out 2; extras 9. Total (7 wickets, 45 overs) 84. Bowling: M Eccles 12-3-24-2, S Dyer 10-4-16-2, G Walker 12-4-32-0, M Thomas 8-4-7-3, J Reynolds 3-2-1-0 0.

• Copdock & Old Ipswichian (25) beat Burwell (0) by 10 wickets at Old London Road

• Clacton (7) v Sudbury (7), cancelled without a ball being bowled.

• Halstead (7) v Horsford (7), cancelled without a ball being bowled.