FORMER Suffolk captain Phil Caley said he feels “very honoured” that a celebration lunch is to be held to mark his contribution to the county.

Suffolk CCA is arranging the lunch on Monday, August 5 – the second day of the county’s final home Minor Counties Champion-ship match of the season, against Northumberland at Copdock & Old Ipswichian CC.

Caley’s former Suffolk captain and team-mate Professor Mark Bailey, who is currently high Master of St Paul’s School, will be the guest speaker.

“I have been doing a good job of putting Suffolk officials off from doing this for the last couple of years!” said Caley.

“I know they have been wishing to do this since I packed up playing, and I am very honoured.

“But there are a lot of other players who have given good service and played a long time who have not had a dinner held on their behalf.

“I look back on my time with the county with great fondness and many happy memories.

“I made a great number of friends, many of whom I still in touch with. I am eternally grateful for the career I had with Suffolk, and I would not change anything.

“I am looking forward to going back to Copdock, where I have a lot of friends and it will be great to catch up with Mark Bailey again.”

After making his full Suffolk debut in 1982, Caley went on to skipper Suffolk for 15 consecutive seasons in the Minor Counties Championship from 1994 until 2008.

He led the county to the Eastern Division title in 2005 and a share of the overall championship with Cheshire, and also the MCCA Trophy at Lord’s in 2007.

He became the county’s leading run-scorer in 2009, passing the record previously held by Simon Clements, prior to playing the last of his 219 Minor Counties Championship matches that season.

Tickets for the three-course luncheon, which will be served in a marquee adjoining the pavilion, can be reserved at £30 each or £275 for a table of ten.

Contact county chairman Norman Atkins at 7, Meadowvale Close, Ipswich IP4 4HE and enclose a cheque payable to Suffolk CCA.

The previous day, Sunday, August 4, a Members’ Day is being held when tea and coffee will be available all day, a Ploughman’s lunch will be served and afternoon teak and cake will be available.

The cost of the whole day is £10 per head and reservations can be made via Norman Atkins with cheques again made payable to Suffolk CCA.

The AGM of Suffolk CCA will take place on Monday, March 25, at the (Ramada) Quality Hotel in Bury St Edmunds.

The meeting starts at 7pm, with tea and coffee served from 6.45pm.

All clubs and members are invited to attend.

The Suffolk Cricket handbook has followed in the footsteps of Wisden and broken with tradition.

It was in 2003 that Wisden first published a photograph (of England captain Michael Vaughan) on the front cover.

The 2013 Suffolk handbook for the first time features a female cricketer.

Adorning the cover is 11-year-old Flora Johnston, who last summer became the first female cricketer to score a century for the county.

The 64-page handbook includes reports from all the county sides from under-10s to over-70s plus reports on all the main county league and cup competitions.

There also is a two-page tribute to Hassan Adnan, who retired at the end of last season as the county’s professional.

Copies are available from Colin Munford at 5, Penshurst Road, Ipswich IP3 8QZ at a cost of £8 each, including postage and packing. Cheques should be made payable to Suffolk CCA.