We’ve learnt a lot, says T20 skipper

May 3, 2022

SKIPPER Tom Rash said he thinks his young Suffolk squad have learnt a lot from their NCCA T20 campaign.

Suffolk ended their Group 3 games with a double defeat at home to Hertfordshire, after winning twice away to Norfolk the day before.

Arthur Summers, who is just 16, and 17-year-old Tom Harper made their debuts against Norfolk on Sunday, when Alex Oxley (47 off 43 balls) and Darren Ironside with a run-a-ball 32 added 81 for the fourth wicket in Suffolk’s 136 for 6.

Norfolk closed on 113 for 8 in reply, with Freddie Heldreich returning splendid figures of 4-0-12-2 and Rash also picking up two wickets.

In the second match Norfolk could only total 105 for 8, with seven of the wickets falling to Suffolk’s four spinners.

Suffolk won by six wickets with 20 balls to spare as Oxley made 42 from 30 balls and Summers, who opened the innings in both matches, 21 off 18 and Harper finishing undefeated on 19 off 18.

In the first match at Copdock on Monday, Suffolk closed on 149 for 9 as Ironside (pictured above) struck 51 from 37 deliveries after Oxley continued his good form with 30 from 26.

Hertfordshire were wobbling at 36 for 3 after eight overs, but Jamie Southgate struck 74 not out, with ten fours and two sixes, from 48 balls as they won by five wickets with two balls to spare.

Ben Claydon top-scored with 32 as Suffolk posted 149 for 9 second time around, before Hertfordshire raced to 51 off the first four overs in reply.

Will Buttleman led the charge with 42 off 19 balls, striking each of the first four balls of the innings bowled by Jack Beaumont to the boundary, and shared an opening stand of 64 with James Latham.

Skipper Reece Hussain (42 off 26) then figured in a second-wicket partnership of 59 with Latham, who ended undefeated on 56 from 37 as the visitors raced to victory with five overs unused.

Suffolk skipper Rash said of his side’s contrasting fortunes: “I guess that’s the highs and lows of T20 cricket.

“It was fantastic to go over to Norfolk yesterday and come away with four points from two wins – that doesn’t happen very often for us – and then on the flip side today it was disappointing to lose twice at home, but that is the nature of the beast.”

Rash, who was appointed as Suffolk’s white-ball captain before the start of this season, said of the county’s T20 campaign: “It’s been tough – there are no two ways about it.

“We are a young side but we can’t hide behind the fact that we are young. I would like to think we have learnt quite a lot, certainly from where we were at Wisbech to where we are now.

“We have seen major improvements and we are going to look to carry that forwards to into the 50-over competition. After Wisbech, where we suffered two heavy defeats, we challenged the squad and said this is the way we would like to play and everyone has bought into that and hopefully that will continue now when we look towards the 50-over competition.”

Suffolk start their NCCA 50-over Trophy Group 3 games against Norfolk at Mildenhall CC on Sunday, May 29th.

 

Norfolk scorecards

First match

Second match 

Hertfordshire scorecards

First match

Second match 

 

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