MISTLEY Cricket Club returned to winning ways following an exciting 12-run success against Haverhill.

They won the toss and batted first in the Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship contest - a match shortened to 45 overs, to allow for bad weather breaks.

One came earlier than expected as, just three overs in, a thunderstorm and heavy rain caused a delay while areas around the wicket dried out.

With conditions then suiting the bowlers, batting proved difficult with Graeme Butcher, Matt Bibby and James Scott all falling for low scores, with Mistley getting to 34 for three.

Daniel Goff and Khalipha Cele then added 67 for the fourth wicket, with Goff scoring 42 from 41 balls.

This was followed by a 50-partnership with Myles Churchill, who scored 22, before Cele was out, stumped for a solid 58.

Stuart Dove added a useful 20 from 18 balls, helping Mistley reach 184 for eight.

The Swans bowled and fielded well to make run-scoring difficult.

Goff bowled an opening spell of five overs for just eight runs.

Despite this, Haverhill put on 86 before the first wicket fell, although this took 26 overs.

The breakthrough came with a run out by Dove, throwing the ball underarm as he dived for a direct hit to claim the wicket of Sam Hartshorn for 43.

Cele bowled the other opening batsman in the next over.

Bruce Leeke bowled an economical spell of nine overs for 27 runs, continuing to make run-scoring difficult.

Bibby took three wickets in his spell of eight overs for 42 and Tim Scott returned to claim three wickets, including one to a good catch by Dove, holding on to a ball that went high in the air.

It prevented Haverhill reaching their target, having finished on 172 for nine and therefore securing the win for Mistley by 12 runs.

Elsewhere, in division three, Mistley's second team lost by two wickets in a tight match at Haverhill.

The third team ran out eight-wicket winners in their division nine east contest at Boxted.