Trio included for 50-over opener

NICK Browne, Dom Manthorpe and Ben Shepperson are all included in the Suffolk side for their opening NCCA Trophy match of the season.

The trio all come into the line-up as Suffolk face Norfolk in their first Group 3 game of the 50-over competition at Mildenhall CC on Sunday, start 11am.

Essex opener Browne, who is available on a dual registration, played one match for Suffolk in the Minor Counties Trophy back in 2013. He comes in for Essex team-mate Josh Rymell.

Hadleigh all-rounder Manthorpe, who made his debut for Suffolk in 2015, has not played for the county since the following season, while former Mildenhall batter Shepperson was unavailable for this season’s NCCA T20 competition due to work commitments.

There are recalls for all-rounder Darren Batch, who has not featured since the opening T20 double-header at Cambridgeshire but had an outstanding 50-over competition last season, and wicket-keeper Jacob Marston.

Freddie Heldreich is unavailable due to being involved with Northants Steelbacks in the Vitality T20 Blast while Alex Oxley, Arthur Summers, Tristan Blackledge and Matt Wareing all miss out.

Suffolk head coach Andy Northcote said: “Tristan, who featured throughout the T20s, misses out for tactical reasons. We are going in with two frontline seamers and a raft of spinners/all-rounders.

“Alex has bags of talent but has struggled in the 50-over EAPL competition and did not take his chances in the T20s either, averaging mid-20s.

“It is just a matter of time until young Ox flourishes in the shorter formats like he does in our Championship side. With the inclusion of Nick Browne, who gives us much-need experience, a batter that does not give us a bowling option had to make way.

“Dom Manthorpe has had a fantastic few years with his home club Hadleigh CC in the Two Counties, scoring heavily with the bat and opening their bowling. It is great to get him back involved and available for the entire campaign.”

Looking ahead to the county’s 50-over campaign, Northcote said: “Our squad has balance, experience and a whole lot of excitement. As with last year, the competition will be tough, lots of miles, late nights, etc but we start it with our first target of making the knock-out stages and go from there.”

Suffolk returned to Wamil Way as a one-day venue last season for the first time since 2011 and Northcote said: “Mildenhall is a fantastic venue to play a NCCA Trophy fixture and will create a cracking atmosphere as ever. The wicket will be flat, outfield quick if it remains dry, a large crowd will be watching.

“Although we beat Norfolk twice in the T20s, this competition is a different beast all together and we know they will travel looking for revenge. Both sides know each other well, packed with youth and experience, and so it should make for a fantastic fixture.”

Suffolk: Nick Browne, Ben Claydon, Jack Beaumont, Darren Batch, Josh Cantrell, Darren Ironside, Ben Parker, Ben Shepperson, Dom Manthorpe, Tom Rash (capt), Jacob Marston (wkt).

Nick Browne is pictured above batting for Essex 2nd XI versus Suffolk in last season’s friendly between the two sides at Chelmsford.

Tags: Andy Northcote, Ben Shepperson, Dom Manthorpe, NCCA 50-over Trophy, Nick Browne, Norfolk

Categorised in: Suffolk CCC