Suffolk ready for first 2020 fixture

NEIL Dexter will make his debut for Suffolk in Sunday’s T20 double-header versus Cambridgeshire at Woolpit CC.

The South African-born former Kent, Middlesex and Leicestershire all-rounder signed as Suffolk’s professional for the 2020 season. However, the loss of all competitive fixtures due to the coronavirus pandemic, robbed Dexter of the opportunity to represent Suffolk in the newly-branded National Counties Cricket Association competitions this season.

Suffolk head coach Andy Northcote said: “I spoke to Neil about the possibility of him playing in this match with a view to us engaging him as our professional again for next season.”

Dexter will be joined in the Suffolk side by fellow debutant Jack Potticary, the 23-year-old wicket-keeper batsman who played for both Essex and Nottinghamshire 2nd XIs last season.

Potticary, who is playing this year for Mildenhall in the Read Brothers East Anglian Premier League, was listed as one of the players in the pot for the inaugural draft for The Hundred last October.

With Alex Oxley, James Poulson and Ollie Bocking all unavailable, a much-changed Suffolk side to last season will take to the field for the two matches, starting at 11am and approx. 2pm. Four players who haven’t featured for Suffolk for at least a year are named in the side – Freddie Heldreich, Billy Moulton Day, Ben Parker and Matt Wareing.

The last time Wareing featured in a full Suffolk XI was May 2017 before being laid low by a back injury, but he was one of five Suffolk players in the combined side with Cambridgeshire that defeated Essex 2nd XI this week.

The visitors to the Cloudfm County Ground won by three wickets with one ball to spare in a thrilling finish to the two-day fixture at Chelmsford.
After rain limited play to just an hour-and-a-half on day one, Essex 2nd XI set their opponents 236 to win, after both sides forfeited an innings.

The home team’s innings was built around a splendid knock by Rishi Patel, who made 107 before becoming the first of Suffolk all-rounder Jack Beaumont three victims. Michael Pepper, who made 84, and Suffolk’s Alex Oxley gave the visitors a solid start with a stand of 61. However, it was a partnership of 72 between Lee Thomason and Suffolk’s Tom Rash, whose 33 came off 31 deliveries, which took them to the brink of victory, before Thomason (65 not out) saw them home.

WORDS AND IMAGE: NICK GARNHAM

Tags: Matt Wareing, Suffolk CCC

Categorised in: Suffolk CCC