MISTLEY'S cricketers suffered a nine-wicket defeat at home to Frinton, in their Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship division one encounter on Saturday.

The start was delayed until 2.50pm, because the burst of heavy rain that accompanied the morning thunderstorms caused water to run under the covers.

Frinton won what proved a significant toss and asked their hosts to bat first in a match reduced to 40 overs per side.

Runs proved hard to score and Mistley lost two early wickets before Adrian Stockton and James Stamatis built a 100-run partnership to take the score to 127.

Stamatis was then out to a good catch near the boundary, having scored 63.

The wickets of captain Daniel Goff and Stockton, for 54, soon followed and Mistley finished on 162 for eight.

With the wicket drying out and batting becoming easier, Frinton set off with an opening partnership of 137 before Tim Scott got the breakthrough in his second bowling spell when he had Alex Price caught by Stamatis for 83.

This was the only wicket for Mistley as Frinton then successfully completed the run chase.

On Sunday, Mistley hosted Bentley, from near Brentwood, in the National Village Cup.

Batting first, Mistley reached 39 before Tim Scott was out to an impressive diving one-handed catch in the covers for 17.

Captain James Scott joined Stockton at the crease and they added 30 before James Scott was unlucky to be out to a leg-side catch behind the wicket, having scored 16.

Stockton was next out for 31, but Miles Churchill and Goff then added 42 before Goff was caught for 17.

Churchill was batting well on 40 when he pulled a loose ball straight into the chest of backward square leg, who fell over with the force of the shot but managed to hold on to the ball.

Matt Bibby took over the run-scoring, adding a useful 33, including five boundaries, before he was bowled.

Mistley finished on 201 all out in the last of the 40 overs.

Disappointingly for Mistley, a number of batsmen got starts but were unable to continue for a big score.

Mistley had the perfect start in the field when Tim Scott bowled Parmenter with the first ball of the innings that swung back in from behind the batsman’s legs and hit the leg stump.

The next partnership added 86 before Phil Palmer had Pether stumped by wicketkeeper Churchill for 29.

Bibby took the next two wickets, thanks to an LBW and a catch by Goff near the boundary.

Bentley lost no more wickets before reaching 204 to win the match.

S Coleman finished on 89 not out and his contribution was the main difference between the sides.

On Saturday, Mistley's first team are away to Witham in the Two Counties Championship while their second and third teams are at home to Tuddenham and Felixstowe respectively.

On Sunday, Mistley are away to Eight Ash Green in the North Essex League and they host Wivenhoe at New Road in the Two Counties Sunday League.

Mistley's ladies are at home to Eight Ash Green tonight.