Rash appointed as county’s white-ball captain

April 3, 2022

TOM Rash said it came as a ‘massive surprise’ to be asked to captain Suffolk’s white-ball sides this season.

The all-rounder takes over as Suffolk’s T20 and 50-over skipper from Jack Beaumont, who will remain as the county’s red-ball captain.

Rash (pictured above) will form a new partnership in T20 cricket with Adam Mansfield, who will not play in the format so that he can take on the role of head coach to alleviate Andy Northcote’s workload.

The 37-year-old said: “It is a huge honour to be asked to captain Suffolk. I wasn’t expecting it at all, if I am being honest, so it came as a massive surprise.

“However, it is not something you say no to and with a smile on my face I accepted the role.

“I realise I am in the latter stages of my county career and this will give me extra motivation to carry on playing for the foreseeable future.”

Rash has played in the East Anglian Premier League for Bury St Edmunds, Copdock & Old Ipswichians, where he was captain for four years, and is about to enter his fifth season with Mildenhall, two of which were spent as skipper.

He said: “The idea is to take some of the pressure off Jack, who had a big job on his hands trying to captain Suffolk across all three formats as well as Copdock & Old Ipswichians.

“It will also help him to hopefully contribute more with both bat and ball as he is a very important player in our white-ball side.”

Rash, who made his Suffolk debut in 2011, has been an integral part of the county set-up across all three formats.

He was in the sides beaten in two 50-over knock-out quarter-finals (versus Berkshire in 2017 and Cumberland in 2021) and the semi-final at Devon in 2018.

He continued: “In the past we have not always fulfilled our potential as a white-ball team and on the back of our success in red-ball cricket last year we need to carry that momentum into this year’s white-ball campaign.

“I am our most experienced player in white-ball cricket, and hopefully I can use that to identify the key moments in a game to enable us to maximise our potential.

“What you will always get from me is that playing for Suffolk has been a huge part of my life and hopefully I can impart that passion and will to win on the team.”

Suffolk head coach Andy Northcote said: “The long and short of it is that we felt the time was right to split this huge role. We have done so with the coaching and naturally it felt right.

“Tom has been involved with the Lions for 11 years now, and initially he entered the year with a very red-ball only focus. That was us as management sitting him down and working out the best route for both him and us.

“Fast forward five months and we now have instilled him to lead from the front. He’s been the first one in and last to leave every session this winter, once again showed the skills required for the white-ball game, is full of ideas and has the man-management skills to lead these young cubs.

“It’s a role we have given him for two years and together with Adam, I think they will make a cracking contribution to the cause.

“Whilst I will still very much take responsibility and oversee the men’s squad, Adam as head coach of the T20s needs to be given the freedom to make the changes he feels will best suit the XI.

“Adam steps away from the T20s and will more than likely be reinstated in the 50-over competition. Of course, he is our red ball starter with the gloves.

“He’s got all the attributes to be a fantastic coach so this phase of Suffolk Cricket will be great to watch. He is a caring, kind, solid man who is passionate about the Lion.”

Suffolk start their NCCA T20 campaign against Cambridgeshire at Wisbech CC on Sunday, April 17th and their first match in Group 3 of the NCCA Trophy will be versus Norfolk at Mildenhall CC on Sunday, May 29th.

 

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