Suffolk win, but can no longer qualify

DESPITE thrashing Shropshire by seven wickets in their NCCA NV Play One Day Trophy Group One game, Suffolk Men’s 1^st XI can no longer qualify for this year’s knock-out stages.

Cumbria’s 47-run victory over Cambridgeshire means that they will qualify along with Cheshire, bringing an end to Suffolk’s run of reaching at least the quarter-final stage for five consecutive years.

Suffolk successfully chased down their target in Sunday’s group game sponsored by Atkins Dellow at Sudbury CC one ball shy of having seven overs to spare.

They bowled out their visitors for 233 in 47.2 overs, before a partnership of 137 for the third wicket between Ollie Burle (pictured above) and Darren Ironside saw Suffolk cruise home.

Their  target looked like being appreciably less when Suffolk reduced Shropshire to 93 for 7 off 21 overs, but unlike against Cumbria, who were 58 for 5 and 123 for 7 chasing 199 six days previously, this time Suffolk went on to win.

Tom Fell, whose 88 came off 71 deliveries with 11 fours and three sixes, orchestrated their recovery and No.9 Harris Ajaz ended undefeated on 52, after they added 89 for the eighth wicket.

Jack Beaumont bagged figures of 10-1-56-3, while Dan Shanks, James Bridges and Ironside picked up two wickets apiece.

Beaumont (25) and 26 off just 15 from Feroze Khushi, playing his first competitive match as Suffolk’s professional, got Suffolk’s reply off to a rollicking start as the hosts raced to 76 for two inside 12 overs.

That gave Burle (70 off 114) and Ironside (76 not out off 89) a solid platform to build upon and their partnership of 137 in 29 overs ensured a comfortable victory.

Burle said afterwards: “Having them 93 for 7, ideally we would want to bowl them out for 130, 140. Potentially that is something we need to work on as a side, being a bit more ruthless towards the back end.

“I thought we worked really well at the top, but it would have been nice to finish them off and make that run chase a little bit easier.”

Suffolk host Cambridgeshire in their final group game at Mildenhall CC on Sunday.

Tags: Darren Ironside, NCCA NV Play One Day Trophy, Ollie Burle, Shropshire, Sudbury CC

Categorised in: Suffolk CCC