Tom finishes top wicket-taker

October 8, 2026

SUFFOLK Men’s 1st XI all-rounder Tom Harper said it felt ‘amazing’ to finish as the leading wicket-taker in the National Counties Championship season.

The 22-year-old (pictured above) took 29 wickets – more than any other bowler across all four divisions of the regular NCCA Cluberly Championship campaign.

His victims came at an average of just 18.59 from 156 overs across the course of Suffolk’s four three-day fixtures.

Harper, who claimed his 50th Championship wicket in the final match of the season, was a key figure as Suffolk finished runners-up in Eastern Division One for the third year in a row.

His feat was all the more remarkable considering he missed the whole of Suffolk’s NCCA Trophy 2026 campaign after undergoing surgery.

The Copdock & Old Ipswichian off spinner dislocated his spinning finger playing in Cape Town for Loughborough UCCE on a pre-season tour in March and missed the opening four East Anglian Premier League matches.

He said: “⁠I was surprised to know how close I was to finishing top going into the last game, but it was a mixture of knowing how close I was to 50 wickets and what I needed to get both married up.

“It is a great privilege to finish top and shows all the hard work over the winter and recovering from injury has paid off.

“Compared to last year I felt like I had to be a leader of the attack and bowl the majority of the overs in all situations, so I felt like I did that a lot better.

“I feel like I’ve improved year-on-year for both Copdock and Suffolk in that respect.

“Skill-wise I have always had good control, so it is more the mental side that has improved, allowing me to always believe I am good enough to change the game and have an impact.”

Harper, made his debut in 2023, did not take a wicket in red-ball cricket until the opening game of the 2024 season.

He continued: “It is amazing to think that this success has come so quickly over the last couple of years. I’ve always wanted to be in this position of taking wickets for Suffolk, so for it to happen so quickly is amazing.”

Harper is spending the winter in Australia playing for Lane Cove in the Sydney Shires Competition, along with Essex bowler Mackenzie Jones.

He is not due to return to England until the end of March, but is already looking ahead to the 2027 season for both club and county and perhaps beyond.

“I definitely have much more I can improve on, and would love to be able to lead Suffolk to some silverware in whatever competition and potentially have the opportunity to try my trade at County 2nd XI level,” he said.

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