Suffolk secure Division 1 status for 2020

Debutant Jacob Marston said it was ‘brilliant’ to be able to contribute to Suffolk’s victory that cemented their place in Eastern Division One of next season’s National Counties Cricket Championship.

The 18-year-old was only called into the side on Saturday night after Bury St Edmunds wicket-keeper Max Whittaker, who was due to make his first appearance in the Unicorns Championship, dislocated a finger the same day.

Marston, who plays for Copdock & Old Ipswichian in the East Anglian Premier League, took three catches in Northumberland’s first innings and added five more and a stumping second time around. His efforts behind the stumps helped Suffolk to a six-wicket win and a maximum 24-point haul at the Victory Ground in Bury St Edmunds.

That ensured Suffolk finished in fifth place in the Eastern Division of this season’s Unicorns Championship. It means they will join champions Staffordshire plus Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire in the new Eastern Division One next season.

Marston, who admitted to being nervous ahead of his debut, said: “I just wanted to make the most of the opportunity as they don’t come around that often. “It was brilliant to contribute towards the win. I didn’t want anyone to know it was my first game – it was my goal to just to look the part and do my job and not stand out in any way.”

An undefeated 120 from fellow debutant Feroze Khushi, who shared a third-wicket stand of 134 with Kyran Young, saw Suffolk establish a first innings lead of 104. Young was out just seven short of a century. That was after interim skipper Mike Comber had claimed 5 for 48 as Northumberland, at one stage 108 for 8, were bowled out for 237. The visitors’ tail also wagged in their second innings as they recovered from 204 for 7 to post 317, Jack Beaumont taking the final three wickets to finish with 4 for 67.

That left Suffolk to chase 214 for victory in a minimum of 64 overs – a target they reached for the loss of just four wickets from 50.1 overs.

Opener Alex Oxley top-scored with 49 and Essex 2nd XI batsman Khushi, who is signed on a dual registration, finished 42 not out after adding 52 with Bury St Edmunds all-rounder Josh Cantrell, who ended 26 not out.

Photograph captions

Jacob Marston: Jacob Marston, who took eight catches and one stumping on his debut for Suffolk versus Northumberland at the Victory Ground in Bury St Edmunds

Feroze Khushi: Debutant Feroze Khushi drives through the covers while batting for Suffolk versus Northumberland at the Victory Ground in Bury St Edmunds

Words and Images: Nick Garnham

Tags: Alex Oxley, Andy Northcote, Feroze Khushi, Jacob Marston, Josh Cantrell, Michael Comber, Suffolk CCC

Categorised in: Suffolk CCC