Professionals

IT is quite possible that Suffolk have had paid professionals since the formation of a county side almost two centuries ago.

Fuller Pilch, who was regarded as the best batsman before the legendary WG Grace, played several times for the county between 1827 and 1847, and it is likely that he would have been paid to do so.

Pilch, who simultaneously turned out for his native Norfolk, is one of an array of international cricketers – he played for England from 1827-52 – to have represented Suffolk.

WG Grace himself played for Suffolk versus MCC at Lord’s as a 17-year-old amateur on July 20th and 21st 1865. His elder brother EM Grace, who was captaining MCC, asked Suffolk if they wished WG to play on the second day as they were short. Batting at No.9, he scored two in the second innings and took 3-48.

EM Grace took 7-27 for MCC bowling underarm as Suffolk, who played MCC at Lord’s quite regularly in those days, lost by innings and 149 runs.

Arguably the best-known of the modern era are ex-England duo Derek Randall, who spent seven seasons as Suffolk’s professional between 1994 and 2000, and Devon Malcolm, who took on the mantle for two seasons in 2004 and 2005, the latter the last time Suffolk won the Eastern Division title.

Other England internationals include Roland Butcher, who spent one season in the role in 1991 and Ashes winner Bill Athey, who spent two similarly undistinguished seasons with Suffolk a decade later.

Chris Schofield (2006 & 2007) and Tony Palladino (2010) both excelled to earn a second bite of the cherry at first-class level, Schofield subsequently being selected for the England squad for the ICC World T20 Cup in South Africa in 2007.

Although some players’ stats don’t necessarily suggest they were worth the investment spent on them as a professional, it would be unfair to judge them on runs scored and wickets taken alone.

Often their influence both on and off the pitch is far greater than their numbers – just ask any of those Suffolk players fortunate enough to have shared a dressing room with Randall.

However, stats don’t lie and in terms of consistent performances one of the best professionals in the modern era has been the understated Hassan Adnan.

The Pakistan-born batsman played for Derbyshire between 2003 and 2007, and had a respectable first-class career average of 37.11, but for Suffolk his record was outstanding.

In 48 Minor Counties Championship innings Adnan scored 2,382 runs at an average of 59.55 which included an undefeated 236 versus Northumberland at Jesmond in 2011.That broke the 100-year-old highest individual score of 229 set by JF Ireland against Cambridgeshire at Newmarket in 1911. At the time it was also the highest individual score by a batsman in the Eastern Division of the championship.

Adnan also twice scored two centuries in the same match, a feat achieved by only two other batsmen – Phil Caley and Tom Huggins – on one occasion each.

More recently ex-Essex batsman Jaik Mickleburgh, who played for three seasons from 2017-2019, has underpinned the Suffolk batting, scoring 1,728 runs at 86.40 in 26 innings, also with a double century to his name.

A string of overseas players have appeared for Suffolk, mainly in the country’s premier knock-out competition, which was originally called the Gillette Cup and subsequently the NatWest Trophy and Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy.

These have included several South Africans, among them Dave Callaghan, who represented Suffolk four years in a row and once held his country’s highest individual one-day score of 169 not out versus New Zealand during the Mandela Trophy in 1994.

Proteas all-rounder Andrew Hall, who played in the one-wicket loss to Northamptonshire in the C&G Trophy at Bury St Edmunds in 2002, subsequently spent seven seasons with the same first-class county whom he also skippered from 2010-2012.

His fellow countrymen Martin van Jaarsveld, who played both Test and One-Day Internationals, and Pierre Joubert both appeared in the same match – an 88-run defeat to Devon at Exmouth in 2003, which was a preliminary round tie for the 2004 C&G Trophy.

Two years later another South African, Natal opening batsman Doug Watson, and New Zealand international Lou Vincent both played in Suffolk’s final match in the C&G Trophy, against Glamorgan at Bury St Edmunds, before Minor Counties were excluded from the competition.

Vincent, who scored 224 for the Kiwis in a Test match against Sri Lanka in Wellington in 2005, later achieved notoriety when he was handed a life ban for his involvement in match fixing!

Below follows a comprehensive list of every player known to have appeared as a professional for Suffolk right through to the present day, one of the most recent being local lad and England T20 international Tymal Mills, who is pictured above.

Each profile contains details of players’ first-class, List A and T20 records, where applicable, and not only their championship records for Suffolk but also their appearances in List A matches and the one-day competition in its various different guises.

Neil Dexter, who was signed as the county’s white-ball professional for the 2020 season, was denied the opportunity to play competitively in either the MCCA Trophy or T20 competitions because of COVID-19.

The list that follows is purely players who were paid as a professional for Suffolk and not those that played professional, or first-class cricket as it is known, either before or after they did so.

Hence the likes of former England leg spinner Robin Hobbs, who played for Suffolk between appearing for Essex and Glamorgan, and wicket-keeper/batsman Stuart Westley, who played simultaneously for Gloucestershire and Suffolk, are not included.

 

FG Trudgett – 1902-1913: Bury St Edmunds-born right-arm medium bowler Frederick Trudgett appeared in 64 championship matches for Suffolk and took 276 wickets at 17.87, with a best return of 9-14 and 24 five-wicket hauls. In 98 innings, of which he was not out 34 times, he achieved a highest score of 20 and an average of just 6.46. After the War he lived in Ipswich and worked at Manganese Bronze & Brass Co.

 

J Filliston – 1902. Joe Filliston, who was cricket coach at Woodbridge School, made three championship appearances all in the same season. He made 44 runs – top-score 14 – at 8.80, and took four wickets at 20.50, with a best return of 3-39.

 

W Penfold – 1903-1914: William Penfold was a right-handed batsman and slow left arm bowler, who played for Bury and West Suffolk. He claimed 375 victims at 16.86 apiece in 66 championship appearances. His best figures were 7-20 and he had 35 five-wicket returns and on eight occasions took ten in a match. He scored 1,317 runs at 12.78 with a top score of 84 in 66 championship appearances. After the War he was appointed cricket coach at Charterhouse and remained there until two years before his death.

 

W Quaife – 1903-1909: Walter Quaife was the younger brother of Willie Quaife, who played for England. A right-handed batsman, Walter appeared for both his native Sussex and Warwickshire. He was cricket coach at Woodbridge School and played 38 championship matches for Suffolk, scoring 1,325 runs at 21.37. His highest score was 93. He managed the Carr Street, Ipswich branch of the sports outfitting firm of Quaife Bros and Lilley.

 

C Baldwin – 1904: Charles Baldwin, who was a professional with Ipswich & East Suffolk, made two championship appearances for Suffolk in 1904. He scored 51 runs at 12.75, with a highest score of 26 and took one wicket for 68 runs.

 

DJF Fraser – 1904-06: John Fraser, who was a professional with Felixstowe, played in three championship matches for Suffolk. He scored 17 runs, with a top-score of nine, at 4.25. His one wicket cost 66 runs, with a best analysis of 1-33.

 

J England 1905: James England made a solitary championship appearance, scoring five runs, with a highest score of four, at an average of 2.50. He took no wickets for 43 runs. He was a professional with Ipswich & East Suffolk.

 

RJ Taylor – 1906-07: Robert Taylor, who played for Lancashire and Worcestershire, featured in six championship matches for Suffolk. His six wickets came at a cost of 33.66 apiece, with best figures of 3-63. He contributed 41 runs at 5.12, with a highest score of nine.

 

F Hollings 1907-10: A wicket-keeper with Melton Asylum, Fred Hollings made seven appearances for Suffolk. He scored 111 runs – top-score 42 – at an average of 11.10. He took seven catches and made one stumping.

 

W Chatterton – 1907: One of Derbyshire’s greatest cricketers, William Chatterton played one Test match for England in 1892. He also played football for Derby County. In his two championship appearances for Suffolk he only batted once, making just two.

 

F Waters – 1908-13: A professional with Ipswich & East Suffolk, Fred Waters made ten championship appearances for Suffolk. His 18 wickets cost 28.88 each, with best figures of 4-41. He scored 57 runs at 5.70, with a highest of 11 not out.

 

FE Smith 1909: Born in Bury St Edmunds, Frank Smith played for Surrey, Transvaal and Western Province and was also a Test umpire, standing in five matches. His two appearances for Suffolk saw him score 76 runs, with a top-score of 36 not out, at 38.00. H also claimed three wickets at 32.33, with a best of 2-67.

 

Suffolk stopped for the First World War and did not play again until 1933, before entering the Minor Counties Competition a year later.

 

CP Mead – 1938-39: Left-handed Hampshire batsman Phil Mead played in 17 Tests for England, before becoming cricket coach at Framlingham College and turning out for Quilibets. He only made 11 championship appearances for Suffolk, but struck 883 runs at 73.58 with a county-best score of 147. He also claimed ten wickets at 34.10 apiece, including his best figures of 5-69.

 

JV Daley – 1939: ‘Jack’ Daley was professional/cricket coach at Culford School in 1939, when he also played for Suffolk. He appeared in eight championship matches, taking 46 wickets at 20.69, with best figures of 8-86. He also scored 166 runs at 27.66, with a highest score of 49.

 

GC Perkins – 1939-1967: Cyril Perkins remains in a league of his own as Suffolk’s leading wicket-taker with 779 victims – Colin Rutterford is next on 431! Perkins joined Suffolk from Northamptonshire, where he made 56 first-class appearances without ever appearing on the winning side. He fared rather better when he moved to Suffolk, where he worked as cricket coach/groundsman at Ipswich School from 1946-1977 and played for Ipswich Greyhounds and Campsea Ashe Park. He played 181 championship matches for the county, with his slow left-arm bowling taking those 779 wickets at 13.34 each and, perhaps not surprisingly, he holds the record for the best individual bowling figures of 10-23 versus Hertfordshire at Felixstowe in 1960. He took five wickets on 42 occasions and ten in a match six times. Perkins averaged 15.36 with the bat and had a top-score of 67 in his 210 innings, which included 77 not outs. He was Suffolk President for 18 years until his death at the age of 102 in November 2013.

 

W Duckham – 1946-1953: After representing Warwickshire Club and Ground, Wally Duckham played 45 times for Suffolk, scoring 1,380 runs as a right-handed batsman at 21.90 with a highest score of 96. His 126 wickets cost 19.69 each and his seven five-wicket hauls included best figures of 7-49. A right-medium bowler he took ten wickets in a match once. He was a professional/groundsman with Churchman’s.

 

HS Hargreaves – 1947-1956: ‘Bert’ Hargreaves played for Yorkshire from 1934-38 and was a professional at both Greene King and Westgate Brewery. A right arm fast-medium bowler, his 37 championship appearances for Suffolk saw him take 175 wickets at an average of 18.57, with best figures of 8-33 and five wickets on 14 occasions and ten in a match once. His 313 runs included a top-score of 56 and he finished with an average of 9.48.

 

R Mayes – 1957-1965: After playing 80 first-class matches for Kent from 1947-53, right-handed batsman Dick Mayes was cricket coach/head groundsman at Woolverstone Hall School between 1957 and 1986 and played for Woolverstone Park. In 53 championship matches for Suffolk he scored 2,786 runs at 30.61 with a best of 106.

 

BA Wilson – 1955-1959: After featuring in a solitary first-class match for Warwickshire in 1951, slow left-armer Ben Wilson moved to Suffolk to become head groundsman and cricket coach at the Royal Hospital School at Holbrook. He made 39 championship appearances for Suffolk, claiming 42 wickets at an average of 25.16. His best return was 6-35 and he twice took five wickets in an innings. A left-handed batsman, Wilson’s 1,046 runs came at an average of 19.73 with a top score of 107 not out.

 

JH Harris – 1960-1963: John Harris made 15 first-class appearances for Somerset as a lower-order left-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler. He left the county in April 1960 after being appointed as groundsman and cricket coach at Framlingham College, where he played as a professional. He took 45 wickets for Suffolk at 29.11 each and scored 627 runs, with a top-score of 76 not out, as he averaged 17.91 with the bat.

 

AJ Watkins – 1965-1966: Allan Watkins played 15 Tests for England between 1948-52 as a left-handed batsman and left-arm medium-fast bowler. He played 484 first-class matches for Glamorgan and moved to Suffolk to be cricket coach at Framlingham College. He only appeared in seven championship matches for Suffolk, scoring 253 runs at 25.30 with a highest score of 53. His 19 wickets, which included a best of 3-4, came at 18.47 apiece.

 

KG Suttle – 1973-1974: Ken Suttle was primarily a left-handed batsman and a useful slow left-arm bowler with Sussex from 1949-1971, playing 612 first-class matches including an unbroken sequence of 423 consecutive county championship matches, which is still a record. His 15 appearances for Suffolk yielded 612 runs at 21.85 with a top score of 60 and 26 wickets at 24.07 with a best of 4-36. He also made three first-team appearances in 1949 for Brighton & Hove Albion FC as a winger.

 

T Mohamed – 1979-81: Timur Mohamed was a highly talented and graceful left-handed batsman, who represented Guyana, captained the Young West Indies and toured England with the senior West Indies side in 1980. He played a total of 47 first-class matches and a further 30 List A matches, three of which were for Suffolk in which he scored 108 runs, with a top-score of 85, at an average of 36.00. He scored 1,840 championship runs for Suffolk at 49.72, with six centuries and his top-score of 179 coming in the 1979 championship play-off final versus Durham at Ransomes Sports Ground. It was not just the number of runs, but the rate at which he scored them that were pivotal to Suffolk’s title success that season. He also took two wickets with his leg breaks at 71.50 each, with best bowling figures of 2-20.

 

RP Done – 1979-1980: Australian Richard Done, a right-arm fast-medium bowler, played ten first-class matches for New South Wales either side of his 12 championship appearances for Suffolk in which he took 29 wickets at an average of 29.24 with best figures of 6-52, his only five-wicket bag. He averaged 15.78 as a right-handed batsman, scoring 221 runs with a highest of 34. Done made three List A appearances for Suffolk in the Gillette Cup, twice playing against Sussex, taking six wickets at 15.83 apiece, with best figures of 3-9, and scoring 57 runs at 19.00, with a top score of 53. He has since held senior development roles with the International Cricket Council.

 

MG Maranta – 1980-81: Brisbane-born Mike Maranta played three first-class matches for Queensland after appearing in 16 championship matches for Suffolk. A left-arm medium bowler and right-handed batsman, Maranta’s 38 wickets cost 24.21 each, with a best return of 4-48 and his 620 runs – highest score 67 – came at 25.83. Maranta played one List A match for Suffolk – the 171-run first-round loss to Derbyshire in the 1981 NatWest Trophy. He was dismissed for 12 and then removed England all-rounders Barry Wood and Geoff Miller as he claimed 12-1-40-2. He played at Sudbury as a professional.

 

PWE Rawson – 1984: Peter Rawson played ten one-day internationals for Zimbabwe between 1983 and 1987 and appeared in 71 first-class matches for Natal. He played six championship matches for Suffolk in the 1984 season, scoring 245 runs at an average of 40.83, with a top score of 81, while his 11 wickets, which included best figures of 4-29, came at 40.36 each. His sole List A outing for Suffolk was the NatWest Trophy first-round tie at Worcestershire in which he scored 28 and returned figures of 12-3-26-1 as Suffolk lost by six wickets.

 

MSA McEvoy – 1985-90: Mike McEvoy was a right-handed opening batsman who made 69 first-class appearances for Essex (1976-81) and Worcestershire (1983-84) either side of playing Minor Counties cricket for Cambridgeshire. McEvoy, who was born in India, then joined Suffolk as their professional for the next six seasons, although he carried on playing until 1992. In 54 championship matches he played exactly 100 innings and scored 3,175 runs, including six centuries, with a top score of 154 at an average of 35.67. McEvoy made 33 List A appearances in his career, of which six were in the NatWest Trophy for Suffolk, for whom he scored 205 runs at 34.16, with a top-score of 61. He also made 11 appearances across the English Estates Trophy, MCCA KO Trophy and Holt Cup, striking 281 run at an average of 31.22, with a best of 40. McEvoy, who was Sudbury’s professional for a number of years, holds the county’s record partnership for any wicket of 295 with Chris Gladwin versus Northumberland at Jesmond in 1990, making 113 not out.

 

C Gladwin – 1988-90. Chris Gladwin was a destructive left-handed opening batsman who played 71 first-class matches, mainly for Essex (1981-87) and a few for Derbyshire in 1989. He also appeared in 52 List A matches, two of these were for Suffolk in which he made 19 runs at 9.50, with a top-score of 14 and took three wickets at an average of 23.33, with best figures of 3-63. In 13 championship matches for Suffolk he scored 1,039 runs at 49.47, the highlight of which was his 171 not out in the county’s record opening stand of 295 with partner Mike McEvoy against Northumberland at Jesmond in 1990. He also took nine wickets with his right-arm bowling at 47.00 apiece with a best of 3-91. He made four appearances in the Holt Cup, scoring 94 runs at 23.5, with a top-score of 45. He claimed four wickets at 21.5 apiece, with best figures of 3-17. Gladwin played for Bury Rail during his spell with Suffolk.

 

RO Butcher – 1991: Barbados-born Roland Butcher was the first black player to represent England, playing three Tests and three one-day internationals in 1980 and 1981. His first-class career saw him play 277 matches, mainly with Middlesex, although he also turned out for Tasmania. He also featured in 271 List A games. Butcher played seven championship matches for Suffolk, scoring 391 runs at 27.92 with a highest score of 74. He scored 19 in his sole Holt Cup appearance.

 

KA Butler – 1993: Keith Butler joined Suffolk following his release from Essex, where he was on the staff from 1990-92 and played just one first-class game. The right-handed former England Under-19 batsman made eight appearances in the championship for Suffolk, scoring 346 runs at 24.71 with a top score of 70. He made 15 in his one MCCA Trophy appearance for the county.

 

DW Randall – 1994-2000: It was a real coup for Suffolk when ex-England batsman Derek Randall signed for the county. He initially joined on a one-year deal but enjoyed it so much he stayed for seven seasons. An eccentric character and outstanding fielder, the right-hander played in 47 Tests and 49 one-day internationals. His most memorable international innings was his 174 in the Centenary Test versus Australia in Melbourne in 1977. Randall’s career with his native Nottinghamshire spanned 488 first-class matches while he appeared in 467 List A matches, just two of which were for Suffolk in which he scored 43 runs, with a highest of 39, at 21.50. He made exactly 50 championship appearances for Suffolk, scoring 3,935 runs at 45.75 with eight hundreds and a highest score of 148. Randall appeared in just six MCC Trophy and ECB 38-County Competition matches across his seven seasons with Suffolk, scoring 191 runs at 31.83, with a best of 64.

 

DJ Callaghan – 1999-2001: Dave Callaghan played 29 one-day internationals for South Africa, and held the record for his country’s highest individual score following his 169 not out versus New Zealand at Centurion Park in 1994. His first-class career, which included a spell with Nottinghamshire, spanned 146 matches. He also played 216 List A matches. Callaghan appeared seven times for Suffolk as an overseas player in the NatWest Trophy and the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy, scoring 197 runs at 28.14 with a top score of 59. He also took seven wickets at 35.28 each, with a best return of 3-28. Two of those appearances came in the 2002 competition played in 2001.

 

CWJ Athey – 2001-2002: Bill Athey was a right-handed opening batsman between 1976 and 1997 with Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Sussex and Worcestershire. He played 23 Tests for England, the pinnacle of which was as a member of Mike Gatting’s side that won the Ashes in Australia in 1986-87, and 31 one-day internationals. He racked up 467 first-class appearances and also played in 459 List A matches, including four for Suffolk in which he scored 122 runs with a best of 71 at 30.50. Athey played six times in the championship for Suffolk, all in the 2001 season, scoring 205 runs with a highest score of 87 at an average of 20.50. He also picked up four wickets at 41.75, with best figures of 1-0. In six 38-Counties Cup appearances, two of which were abandoned, Athey contributed 155 runs at 38.75, with a top score of 81, and took four wickets at 24.25, with a best return of 2-22.

 

AJ Hall – 2002: Andrew Hall made a solitary appearance for Suffolk – the one-wicket loss to Northamptonshire in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy in 2002. The South African all-rounder opened the innings and made 16, but shone with the ball, returning figures of 10-4-33-4 as the visitors narrowly avoided an upset. Hall was initially considered a one-day specialist but went on to play 21 Tests. A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler, Hall featured in 88 ODIs and also appeared in two T20 internationals. His 242 first-class appearances included a spell with Northants from 2008-14. He made a further 318 List A appearances and featured in 101 domestic T20 matches.

 

TM Smith – 2002-2005: Trevor Smith, known as ‘Tricky’ to his team-mates, joined Suffolk after leaving Derbyshire, where he featured in 32 first-class matches between 1997 and 2001 as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He also made a total of 25 List A appearances, three of which were for Suffolk in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy. He claimed three wickets at 44.33, taking 2-37, including dismissing England all-rounder Robert Croft opening the batting for Glamorgan in Suffolk’s last-ever appearance in the competition, and scored a total of 55 runs, with a top-score of 37 versus Glamorgan, at 18.33. His 22 championship appearances for Suffolk saw him claim 87 scalps at 25.97 a time, including best figures of 7-42. A left-hander, Smith averaged 18.91 with the bat, scoring 435 runs, with a best of 49. He played in a total of 11 matches for Suffolk in the 38 Counties Cup, MCCA KO Cup and MCCA Trophy, with best figures of 2-22 among his seven victims at 45.85 each. He batted on eight occasions, scoring 37 runs at 6.16, with a top score of 18.

 

M van Jaarsveld – 2003: Martin van Jaarsveld, who played nine Tests and 11 one-day internationals for South Africa, made 262 first-class, 296 List A and 136 T20 appearances in his career. He appeared in a single List A match for Suffolk in 2003. That was a first-round tie for the 2004 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy versus Devon at Exmouth. He returned figures of 10-0-50-0 and, batting at No.3, was dismissed for 21.

 

P Joubert – 2003: Pierre Joubert appeared alongside his fellow countryman Martin van Jaarsveld against Devon in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy 2004 first round tie played the previous August. Joubert took four of the six Devon wickets to fall, but he was expensive, returning figures of 10-0-82-4, and scored 46 batting at No.4. He played in a total of 96 first-class, 107 List A, all bar that one game, and 25 T20 matches in his career in his native South Africa.

 

DE Malcolm – 2004-2005: Fast bowler Devon Malcolm earned a place in English folklore with his 9-57 versus South Africa at The Oval in 1994, which at the time was the sixth best innings analysis in Test history. He played a total of 40 Tests and ten one-day internationals for England and 304 first-class matches and 185 List A matches during his career with Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. Malcolm, who was born in Jamaica, signed for Suffolk ahead of the 2004 season. He played in nine championship matches, claiming 34 wickets at 26.55 apiece, with best figures of 5-52. In five innings, two of which were not out, he scored 12 runs at an average of 4.00. He appeared in just one MCCA KO Cup match –the semi-final loss to Berkshire in 2004 – taking 1-34 and scoring two not out.

 

AC McGarry – 2004-2008: Andrew McGarry, a right-arm fast-medium bowler, was on the staff at Essex from 1999-2007, playing 19 first-class and 19 List A matches for his home county. He played in 21 championship matches across five seasons for Suffolk, claiming 87 victims at 22.10 a time, with best figures of 6-38. He was a key component of the 2005 side that won the Eastern Division, taking 34 wickets at 23.61 each including figures of 4-40 and 3-89 in the drawn Play-Off Final versus Cheshire. Almost half of his 65 runs in 17 innings came in a single knock of 32, giving him an average of 6.50. In eight MCCA KO Cup and MCCA Trophy matches McGarry took ten wickets at 30.2 apiece, with a best of 3-36. He only batted once, scoring seven runs.

 

DJ Watson – 2005: Doug Watson was a right-handed opening batsman with Natal, who played 139 first-class matches and a further 136 List A matches between 1993 and 2009. He was drafted in as one of Suffolk’s two overseas players against Glamorgan in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy in 2005, but scored just six runs.

 

L Vincent – 2005: Lou Vincent made 23 Test and 102 one-day international appearances for New Zealand. He also featured in 98 first-class, 220 List A and 111 T20 matches for Auckland and, among others, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Sussex and Worcestershire. Along with Doug Watson he agreed to turn out for Suffolk in the 2005 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy – the last time Minor Counties played in the competition. His seven overs cost 55 runs and he was dismissed for a duck as Suffolk lost by 143 runs.

 

CP Schofield – 2006-2007: Chris Schofield made two Test and four T20 appearances for England either side of playing for Suffolk. The leg spinner was among the first batch of players to be awarded an ECB central contract, but after playing twice against Zimbabwe in 2000, Schofield’s career went into decline and he was released by Lancashire. After playing for Cheshire against Suffolk in the 2005 Minor Counties Championship Play-Off Final, Schofield signed for the county the following season. His five championship appearances saw him claim 32 wickets at 14.75, with best figures of 8-112 and score 367 runs at 52.42, with a top-score of 92 not out. He played just three MCCA Trophy and MCCA KO Cup games across those two seasons, scoring 190 runs, including an innings of 124, to give him an average of 114.5, and picked up three wickets at 37.33 each, with best figures of 1-21.His performances led to him signing for Surrey, and after being the leading wicket-taker in the group stage of the 2007 Twenty20 Cup, Schofield was named in the England squad for the World Championship in South Africa, where he played four matches in six days. He played a total of 103 first-class, 150 List A and 63 domestic T20 matches.

 

AP Grayson – 2006-2007: Ex-Yorkshire and Essex all-rounder Paul Grayson only appeared in three matches for Suffolk, but produced a match-winning display in the 2007 MCCA KO Cup Final against Cheshire at Lord’s. Grayson, batting at No.4, top-scored with 87 and then returned figures of 7-0-29-1 with his slow left-arm spin. He also played in that season’s quarter-final and the first group game the following season, scoring to total of 129 runs at 43.00 and taking six wickets at 14.50. His first-class career covered 181 matches plus a further 246 List A and nine T20 appearances. He played two one-day internationals for England at the ICC KO Tournament in Kenya in October 2000 and later became first team coach at Essex for eight years until September 2015 to end his 19-year association with the club. His brother Simon played for and then managed a string of professional football clubs.

 

Muhammad Hassan Adnan Syed – 2008-2012: Better known as Hassan Adnan, the former Derbyshire player churned out the runs in his five seasons with Suffolk. After playing in his native Pakistan, Hassan Adnan joined Derbyshire in 2003 and played for the county until he was released in 2007. The last of his 137 first-class appearances came in Pakistan in 2010. He also featured in 73 List A and 11 T20 matches. In 48 championship innings for Suffolk he accumulated 2,382 runs at 59.55, including the county’s highest individual score of 236 not out versus Northumberland at Jesmond in 2011. He also claimed nine wickets with his right-arm off spin at 34.66 apiece, with best figures of 5-146. In ten MCCA Trophy matches he added a further 401 runs at 40.10, with a best of 120.

 

AP Palladino 2009-2010: Tony Palladino was on the staff at Essex between 2003 and 2010, where he had limited first-team opportunities. After appearing in two Minor Counties Trophy matches in 2009, Palladino played in three championship matches the following season, claiming an impressive 19 victims at 16.89 apiece, with best figures of 6-69. He also contributed 113 runs at 37.66, with a top-score of 43. In three MCCA Trophy matches he scored a further 71 runs, with a top-score of 51 not out and an average of 35.5 and took one wicket at 106.00, with a best analysis of 1-35. He was subsequently signed by Derbyshire in 2011 and was a mainstay of their bowling attack until his release at the end of the 2020 season. He played in 166 first-class, 57 List A and 26 T20 matches.

 

TS Mills – 2010-2019: Yorkshire-born but Suffolk-raised Tymal Mills (pictured above) has to date featured in five T20 internationals for England, since making his debut versus Sri Lanka at the Ageas Bowl in 2016. Capable of bowling speeds in excess of 90mph, since being diagnosed in 2015 with a congenital back condition he has been consigned to only playing the shortest format of the game, appearing for various franchise sides around the globe. Mills, who came through the Youth ranks at Mildenhall CC, played one MCCA Trophy match for Suffolk in 2010, before playing for Essex (2011-14) and then Sussex from 2015 to the present day. He made one further MCCA Trophy appearance in 2012, giving him a total of three wickets at 12.33 a time, and being dismissed for just one in his solitary innings. He did not represent Suffolk again until appearing in three T20 matches in 2018 and 2019, returning combined figures of 0-76 and scoring four runs in two innings without being dismissed, with a highest score of three not out.

 

JL Sadler – 2011: John Sadler played for England Under-19s at the same time as Justin Bishop, who was captain of Suffolk when Sadler played three MCCA Trophy matches for Suffolk in 2011. Sadler scored 140 on debut versus Berkshire at Henley-on-Thames in a losing cause, and only managed a further seven runs in his next two matches, meaning he scored 147 runs at 49.00. After playing for Yorkshire from 1999 until 2002, Sadler had spells at Leicestershire (2003-07) and Derbyshire (2008-10) and made 66 first-class, 93 List A and 64 T20 appearances. He has since been on the coaching staff at both Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

 

SM Guy – 2012-2015: Former Yorkshire wicket-keeper-batsman Simon Guy made two appearances in the Minor Counties Trophy and one in the championship in 2012, but did not play again that season. He then played regularly over the next three years as player-coach, featuring in a total of 18 championship matches, scoring 1,369 runs at 47.20, which included 216 versus Lincolnshire at Sleaford in 2013. He didn’t always keep wicket due to the emergence of Adam Mansfield, but took 35 catches. His MCCA Trophy record was even more impressive; in 12 matches he totalled 515 runs, with a best of 141 not out, and averaged 64.37. Guy played for Yorkshire from 2000-09, although he briefly returned in 2011 due to a player shortage. His career spanned 37 first-class, 32 List A and ten T20 matches.

 

DDJ Robinson – 2013: Between 1993 and 2007 Braintree-born Darren Robinson played 189 first-class, 195 List A and eight T20 matches as an opening batsman with first Essex, where he spent 11 seasons, and then Leicestershire, whom he captained for a short period. Robinson appeared just twice for Suffolk in the final two championship matches of the 2013 season, scoring 77 runs at an average of 19.25, with a top score of 38.

 

KJ Coetzer – 2015: Kyle Coetzer made a solitary appearance for Suffolk, scoring an undefeated 64 in the Unicorns KO Trophy victory over Bedfordshire at Dunstable CC. Coetzer, who only two months before had scored 156 for Scotland versus Bangladesh at Nelson in New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup in Australasia, was signed on a dual registration, but was recalled by parent county Northamptonshire and was not available to play again. Between 2008 and 2019 Coetzer played 59 one-day internationals and 58 T20 matches for Scotland, whom he also captained. He started his career at Durham (2004-11) before joining Northants and played 94 first-class, 169 List A and 122 T20 matches during his career.

 

MS Westfield – 2016: After making his first-class debut for Essex in 2005, Mervyn Westfield’s career came to a shuddering halt in May 2010 when he was arrested over allegations that he had agreed to concede a set number of runs off an over in a Pro40 match against Durham the previous September. He became the first county cricketer in England to be prosecuted for match-fixing and in February 2012 was sentenced to four months in prison. Four years later, and by now playing for Essex side Frinton CC, he was granted special dispensation to play 2nd XI and Minor Counties matches. Westfield made three appearances for Suffolk in the 2016 Unicorns KO Trophy, taking seven wickets, with best figures of 3-54, at 17.57 and making 70 runs at 35.00, with a top-score of 38.

 

JC Mickleburgh – 2017-2019: Ex-Essex opening batsman Jaik Mickleburgh won the Wilfred Rhodes Trophy for the batsman with the highest average in the Minor Counties Championship in his first season with Suffolk. He enjoyed an outstanding season, scoring 815 runs at 116.43 to claim the award. That included three centuries with a highest score of 218 not out versus Northumberland at South Northumberland CC. A further 487 championship runs at 97.40 followed in 2018 and 426 at 53.25 in 2019, meaning a total of 1,728 runs at 86.40 across his three seasons with the county. In eight Unicorns KO Trophy matches he scored 271 runs at 33.87, with a best of 124, and in eight T20 matches he had a top-score of 50 in an aggregate of 118 runs at 16.85. While with Suffolk Mickleburgh played for first Copdock & Old Ipswichian and then Frinton. He had previously made 101 first-class, 21 List A and 17 T20 appearances for Essex between 2008 and 2016 before his release.

 

AJ Ball – 2018: Former England Under-19 captain Adam Ball agreed to play for Suffolk after he was released by Kent at the end of the 2017 season due to uncertainty over Jaik Mickleburgh’s availability due to his job. However, Ball only made two Unicorns KO Trophy and four Unicorns T20 and appearances for Suffolk due to his own work commitments. The left-arm fast-medium bowler and right-handed batsman scored 30 runs at 15.00 with a highest of 27 and took three wickets at 30.66 each, with a best of 3-53, in those two KO Trophy games. In his four T20 outings he scored 70 runs at 23.33, with a top-score of 55 not out, and took five wickets at 17.6 apiece, with best figures of 2-14. He played for Copdock & Old Ipswichian during the 2018 season. Between 2010 and 2017 Ball played 31 first-class, 32 List A and 38 T20 matches for Kent.

 

JS Gatting – 2021. Ex-Sussex and Hampshire all-rounder Joe Gatting played one season as Suffolk’s professional. Gatting had been the professional of successful East Anglian Premier League side Swardeston for five seasons, but his club commitments meant that Norfolk chose not to select him. He played four Championship matches for Suffolk, including the play-off final versus Oxfordshire, scoring 151 runs as a middle-order batter at 25.16, with a highest score of 84. He claimed 14 wickets at 16.42 each, with best figures of 15-3-38-5 with his medium-pace in the first innings of the Eastern Division Championship decider versus Staffordshire. He also featured in four NCCA Trophy ties, scoring 170 runs at 56.66 and taking three wickets at a cost of 56.33 each. The son of former Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion defender Steve and nephew of ex-Middlesex and England captain Mike, Gatting made 47 first-class, 50 List A and 59 T20 appearances. Gatting, who had spent his winters playing club cricket in Australia, emigrated at the end of the 2021 season.

 

NLJ Browne – 2022. After appearing in one MCCA Trophy match for Suffolk in 2013 while a young player on the Essex staff, Nick Browne returned to play as a professional during the 2022 NCCA Trophy campaign. An established opening left-handed bat in the Essex Championship side by this time, Browne was made available while the Essex Eagles were playing white-ball cricket. He made an undefeated 90 in the victory versus Norfolk and 73 in the loss to Cambridgeshire. By the end of the 2022 season he had played 123 first-class matches, 25 List A and 14 T20 matches for Essex.

 

GH Rhodes – 2022. George Rhodes signed half-way through the 2022 season made an immediate impact. The former Worcestershire and Leicestershire all-rounder made his debut in the NCCA Championship defeat to Norfolk at Woolpit. He then top-scored with 95 and returned figures of 10-1-32-0 as Suffolk agonisingly lost to Oxfordshire by three wickets off the last ball in their NCCA Trophy Quarter-Final at Banbury. Rhodes then played a prominent role in ensuring Suffolk retained their Eastern Division One status in the three-day format, scoring 308 runs at an average of 61.60 in the victories over Staffordshire and Bedfordshire, where he scored 148 in the second innings. He also claimed nine wickets at 31.33 apiece, with figures of 5-36 in the first innings against Bedfordshire. Rhodes, who is the son of ex-Worcestershire and England wicket-keeper Steve Rhodes, re-signed as the county’s professional for the 2023 season. He made 34 first-class, 10 List A and 20 T20 appearances between 2016 and 2022,