Suffolk staged a miracle escape act to salvage a draw, after playing second fiddle to leaders Lincolnshire for virtually the whole of their latest Minor Counties Championship fixture, holding out thanks to a terrific rearguard from Michael Comber and Tom Rash at Ipswich School this evening.

The hosts looked destined for a heavy defeat, when faced with an unlikely target of 370 for victory, and then slipping to 135 for seven.

But Comber and Rash dug in and engineered a terrific recovery, frustrating Lincolnshire to finally finish on 246 for nine, off 85 overs.

Mildenhall skipper Rash and Frinton all-rounder Comber put on a patient 103 for the eighth wicket to guide Suffolk towards safety. It really was a remarkable effort from the experienced duo.

Rash’s resistance was finally ended, trapped leg before by Louis Kimber for 49, having faced 128 deliveries. Josh Cantrell soon followed, caught by Jack Timby off Alex Willerton, but Comber and No. 11 Ollie Bocking saw Suffolk over the line at the death.

Bocking survived four balls, while Comber remained unbeaten on 56, accrued off 137 balls, to complete the job.

Before the game, Lincolnshire had topped the Eastern Division table by just one point, although Suffolk were a mere point adrift of the pace-setters in third.

On day one, Suffolk had seen their opponents set a big first innings total of 339, before being bowled out for 203 themselves. The visitors then declared their second innings on 233 for seven, setting Suffolk 370 for victory.

Adam Mansfield’s men were never in the hunt, in terms of winning the match, losing opener Martyn Cull (4) with just seven on the board and seeing their top six batsmen all back in the pavilion with the total on just 105.

Willerton, fresh from his fine six for 49 in the first innings, removed both Cull and skipper Mansfield, while Adam Tillock accounted for the middle order of Kyron Young, Jed Cawkwell and Darren Ironside. Ben Shepperson fell for just three, and Jack Beaumont’s run-a-ball 37 was ended by Jack Kimber. But Lincs, on the verge of victory, hadn’t bargained on a late rally from Comber and Rash.