Suffolk are outplayed in Norfolk

June 22, 2026

SUFFOLK Men’s 1st XI will need to win both their remaining Group 2 games to guarantee qualification for the Super 12s in this season’s NCCA Dojo T20 competition.

Norfolk outplayed their visitors in both matches at Sprowston CC on Sunday to confirm them as group winners, while Suffolk can no longer catch second-placed Lincolnshire.

It means Suffolk, who host Hertfordshire at Mellis CC on July 5th, must win both matches to guarantee finishing above Cambridgeshire, who are currently a point behind.

If Suffolk fail to do so, Cambridgeshire could still claim third place when they host Norfolk in their final double-header.

Suffolk made a disastrous start after winning the toss and electing to bat in the first fixture versus Norfolk, losing four wickets for just six runs from the opening 14 deliveries.

Josh Cantrell (30 off 22) and Kieran Pell (pictured above) led the recovery with 46 from the following six overs, before Cantrell was caught and Ollie Burle, who scored 200 not out for the MCC last week, was run out first ball.

When Tom Harper was given out caught down the legside, Suffolk had lost three wickets in four balls without scoring a run to subside to 52 for 7.

Woolpit team-mates Henry Bevan (30 not out off 33) and Pell (41 off 43) added 45, but Suffolk’s 116 all out looked totally inadequate.

So it proved as Freddie Fairey (46 off 26) and Sam Arthurton raced to 76 off nine overs before Fairey was bowled, but Arthurton’s undefeated 59 off 43 sealed an eight-wicket win with 4.4 overs to spare.

Arthurton, who plays his club cricket for Copdock & Old Ipswichian, scored 74 off 53 after choosing to bat first in the second match to underpin the hosts’ 185 for 5.

Cantrell claimed figures of 4-0-24-2, before shining with the bat, scoring 21 of the 22 runs off the 15th over bowled by Nathan Muggeridge.

He dominated a partnership of 58 with Pell, who was well held inches inside the mid-wicket boundary by Jonah Wicks off the second ball of the 17th over to leave Suffolk 128 for 5.

Cantrell’s hard-hit 48 off 29 concluded when he sliced to Callum Metcalf at backward point, but by then it was only the eventual 33-run margin of victory that was undecided.

Suffolk skipper Jacob Marston, looking ahead to their final fixtures, said: “We back ourselves 100 per cent and we should qualify. We have played well in this T20 competition.

“Today is an off-day, but we have played well the last two Sundays, so I can’t really complain. I think we have a good chance of going through.”

 

Scorecards

Match 1

Match 2

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