Nine years since last pulling on a Suffolk shirt, Ollie Bocking says could not have wished for more after making his senior debut, writes Nick Garnham.

The 22-year-old took five wickets – two in the first innings and three in the second – as Suffolk crushed Norfolk by an innings and two runs in the Unicorns Championship at Copdock.

Bocking represented Suffolk at Under-12 and Under-13 level in the same side as current Suffolk all-rounder Jack Beaumont, before switching to Essex from Under-14s upwards.

He has been on Suffolk’s radar since the winter of 2016-17, but other commitments have ruled out the former Ipswich School student from playing Minor Counties cricket until now.

Bocking, who was born in Colchester and lives in Wakes Colne, is just finishing a one-year Masters course in Economics at the University of Leeds, after also graduating there.

He said: “I had some winter nets at Ipswich School, but I didn’t know how much I would be playing for Essex 2nd XI. I played quite a few games and also got selected for the Combined Universities, so I was not available to play for Suffolk last summer.

“This season Essex have got seven bowlers signed on who need to play, so I am struggling to get a game with the 2nd XI.

“Playing for Suffolk is ideal as it is a three-day format – proper cricket – and it is nice to play in a good standard for the county.

“I made an ideal start getting a wicket in my first over, although I didn’t feel I bowled as well as I could have in the first innings.

“I have not actually played that much cricket due to university so am short of match practice, but as I got into it I felt I bowled better.”

After helping Suffolk seal back-to-back victories, Bocking added: “I could not have wished for more at the start of my Suffolk career, especially on a pitch where it wasn’t seaming around everywhere.

“I have played a lot of two and three-day cricket, but I think this is the first time I have won by an innings, so we have done really well.”