Jaik Mickleburgh still harbours hopes of returning to the first-class circuit, even though he has had no approaches from any counties despite his prolific form for Suffolk this season.

The former Essex batsman has plundered 738 runs for Suffolk so far in just nine innings, four of them unbeaten, in the Unicorns Championship at an average of 147.6.

The domestic first-class game returned last weekend after a break for the NatWest T20 Blast, but Mickleburgh said he has not had any contact with first-class counties requiring his services.

The 27-year-old, who made scores of 96 and 99 in the drawn match against Cumberland at Ipswich School last week, said: “All I can do is keep scoring runs, so that is all my focus is on at the minute.

“I was really concentrating hard to perform as consistently and as well as I could at the start of the year, but the way the first-class game has gone means they have had this break for the T20 and now they are coming back with six or seven four-day games to go.”

Mickleburgh, who was released by Essex at the end of last season, nine years after making his first-class debut, continued: “You have got to move with the times and if it doesn’t happen then hopefully another door will open, whether it is down the coaching route or to continue playing.

“At this stage I would like to continue playing, but if it is not to be then life is always going to move on and it is not going to sit still.”

Suffolk saw their chances of winning the Eastern Division of this season’s Unicorns Championship washed away by the rain at Ipswich School.

Needing to defeat Cumberland to stand any hope of overhauling leaders Lincolnshire, the loss of 18 overs to rain either side of tea in the visitors’ second innings scuppered any realistic chance of victory.

Suffolk took 11 points from the match and Cumberland 10 points, meaning the visitors stay second and are two points ahead of third-placed Suffolk heading into the final round of matches.