Tributes paid as Tom Rash retires

TRIBUTES have been paid to Tom Rash after he called time on his Suffolk career.

The 39-year-old Mildenhall CC all-rounder, who made his debut in 2011, has retired from playing all three formats for Suffolk.

He told his team-mates on the final afternoon of the season during the match with Bedfordshire at Flitwick CC.

Rash fittingly took the final wicket as Suffolk beat Bedfordshire by 136 runs to avoid relegation from Eastern Division One of the NCCA Championship.

The 39-year-old, who has previously played for both Bury St Edmunds and Copdock & Old Ipswichian, was a regular fixture in the county side and rarely missed a match.

He was a member of last season’s Eastern Division One title-winning side, and was subsequently named as Suffolk’s white-ball skipper for this season.

He played a total of 53 Championship matches for Suffolk and as a lower-order batter scored 1,876 runs at an average of 25.35.

His sole century came in 2019, when he made an unbeaten 103 versus Buckinghamshire at High Wycombe.

Together with Josh Cantrell, Rash set a new record ninth-wicket partnership of 136 during that innings.

Rash, who either opened the bowling or came on first change, took a total of 117 Championship wickets at an average of 27.53.

Suffolk head coach Andy Northcote said: “Tom Rash has been an incredible servant to Suffolk cricket for more than a decade and ultimately in the seven years I have been involved he has arguably been my go-to man both on and off the field.

“He is a true thinker of the game, a fantastically-skilled cricketer and above all an absolute gentleman.

“I don’t think we will ever see another cricketer like him who devotes hours and hours on end, both on and off the field, for the cause and it has been an absolute honour to play some part in his time with Suffolk.”

Suffolk skipper Jack Beaumont said: “I have known Tom for a number of years now and he has been a true servant to Suffolk cricket, giving absolutely everything every time he steps onto the field.

“It has been an absolute pleasure to captain him in the Championship over the last two years and he has been a great role model to the younger players in the squad.

“He’s always wanting to get out there with the bat and someone that you struggle to get the ball out of his hand.

“It truly was a fitting end for Tom to take the final wicket to keep us in Eastern Division One for hopefully years to come.”

Josh Cantrell, who has played with Rash since 2016 and shared that record partnership three years ago, said: “He will be a massive loss for us. Hats off to Rashy – he has been an unbelievable servant for Suffolk.”

Rash said: “It’s been a massive part of my life playing cricket for Suffolk. It’s been absolutely incredible actually, playing with your mates for over a decade and I will be very sad to go.

“It means the world to me to play for my county, but it is time now as the body is not getting any younger and the pressures away from cricket are getting a little too much and I think it is right that the guys take the job on.

“I thought about it long and hard but it’s the right decision as there is only so much you have to give, and I would like to think I left it all out on the park.”

Rash is pictured above bowling in his final match for Suffolk at Flitwick CC.

Tags: NCCA Championship, Tom Rash

Categorised in: Suffolk CCC