Teenager Ishaan to debut for Suffolk

August 7, 2025

TEENAGER Ishaan Rakesh will make his Suffolk debut versus Staffordshire in the NCCA Cluberly Championship at Copdock on Sunday, start 11am.

The 17-year-old, who bats at No.3 for Copdock & Old Ipswichian CC in the Thurlow Nunn East Anglian Premier League, has been called into the side for the Eastern Division One match on his home ground.

He is one of four changes to the side which drew against Cambridgeshire at Sawston & Babraham CC in Suffolk’s last three-day match.

Ben Parker and Alex Maynard are both unavailable, while Henry Bevan (elbow/shoulder) and Matt Wareing (shoulder) are both injured.

Copdock duo Ollie Burle, who has so far been unavailable for the Championship, and Raj Singh, who makes his first appearance of the season, both come into the line-up along with Freddie Heldreich (pictured above).

The left-arm wrist spinner, who is on the staff at Northamptonshire, made his only previous red-ball appearance against the same opponents in the corresponding fixture at Bury St Edmunds two years ago.

Suffolk captain Jack Beaumont said of the Cambridgeshire match: “It was disappointing not to win as I do think we outplayed them and not much went our way on the third day when the wicket didn’t deteriorate as much as we thought it would.

“They batted really well and Ben Claydon played very nicely for his hundred, but I felt we played exceptionally well and were the better side, so it was frustrating not to win.”

With Josh Cantrell, Tom Harper, Darren Ironside and Alex Oxley also missing, the four changes to the side mean that Suffolk will have fielded 20 different players in their opening three Championship matches.

Beaumont said: “From a positive perspective it shows the strength in depth we have available in the county. To change five players versus Cambridgeshire and be on top for three days was proof of that.

“Of the four changes for this match Ishaan is a young up-and-coming player who has had a good season batting at No.3 for Copdock in the EAPL this season and deserves his chance after being 12th man for the last game.

“Ollie Burle has done well with Warwickshire in their U18s and 2nd XI in the last couple of weeks, and batted well for us in the T20 Super 12s last weekend.

“Raj, like Ishaan and Ollie, will be playing on his home ground, while Freddie came through our player pathway and has the ability to win games in any format.

“I am confident that those 11 we have playing can win the game. We know Staffordshire are a good team, but we are a good team and I think they fear us because we have turned around situations against them in the recent past.”

Suffolk squad: Jack Beaumont (capt), Nico Boje, Ollie Burle, George Rhodes, Kieran Pell, Ishaan Rakesh, Jacob Marston (wkt), Freddie Heldreich, Dan Shanks, Raj Singh, Chris Steele.

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