Dominant Suffolk finish runners-up
August 20, 2024A DOMINANT day two display paved the way for Suffolk to secure their National Counties Eastern Division One status.
Suffolk defeated Lincolnshire by ten wickets at Copdock & Old Ipswichian CC on Tuesday to finish runners-up to Staffordshire this season.
Staffs, who beat Buckinghamshire by 67 runs at High Wycombe CC, finished on 67 points, with Suffolk second on 51 points and Bucks third with 45 points.
The six points Lincs collected in defeat took them to 40, three above Bedfordshire, who were relegated after just one season back in the top flight. They will be replaced by Cambridgeshire in 2025.
Suffolk had entered their final fixture knowing that a loss or less than seven bonus points in a drawn match would condemn them to Eastern Division Two next season.
They had to show real character after losing the toss on a good batting wicket, especially as the visitors were well-placed at 290 for 5 with 14 of their maximum 90 overs remaining.
Ollie Burle, the 17-year-old all-rounder playing just his third Championship match on his home ground, had centurion Ben Wright caught on the long-on boundary to claim his first Championship wicket.
Lincs then slipped to 326 for 9 and, having reached their maximum four batting points, decided to declare six overs early, Jack Beaumont returning figures of 16-2-68-4.
Beaumont (pictured batting above) and Darren Ironside then dug in to reach 94 without loss from 23 overs at the close, and extended their stand to 176 the next day before Ironside was adjudged lbw for 94.
Ben Parker (59) kept the scoreboard ticking along with Beaumont, who went on to record his maiden century for the county, before being run out for 115 from 185 balls with 15 fours.
George Rhodes then upped the tempo in tandem with Josh Cantrell (31 off 18 balls) and just missed out on a century, ending 94 not out from only 73 deliveries, striking eight fours and two maximums.
Suffolk’s total of 438 for 5 declared was their highest score since they posted 448 for 5 declared versus Bucks at Ipswich School in July 2014.
Mark Smith, one of two debutants along with Adam Jones, then took three wickets in just eight deliveries, aided by a superb Raj Singh boundary catch, to leave Lincs’ second innings in disarray at 13 for 3.
Cantrell claimed four wickets, including two in two balls as Smith had done earlier, as Lincs closed on 139 for 7 – an overall lead of just 27 – after being dominated throughout the day’s play.
Beaumont and Cantrell picked up a wicket apiece on the final morning and with Josh Joy unable to bat due to injury, Suffolk were left requiring 51 runs to win and the maximum 24 points available.
Parker, needing just 32 runs to reach 1,000 for the county to earn his cap, opened with Burle and reached the landmark with a two into the onside before striking a four to seal victory.
Skipper Beaumont said afterwards: “I can’t remember a more perfect performance during the last four seasons than the way we went out there and executed on the second day.”
Tags: Adam Jones, Ben Parker, Copdock & Old Ipswichian CC, George Rhodes, Jack Beaumont, Josh Cantrell, Lincolnshire, Mark Smith, NCCA Championship, Ollie Burle
Categorised in: Suffolk CCC