AN INTRIGUING final day’s play is in store as the curtain comes down on Suffolk’s Minor Counties Championship campaign today.

Lincolnshire require 331 to win with nine second-innings wicket intact in what will be a minimum of 102 overs at Ipswich School, after yesterday’s second day ebbed and flowed.

Resuming on 60 for six in their first innings, Lincolnshire’s tailenders frustrated Suffolk by adding 105 for the final four wickets.

That left Suffolk with an 84-run lead, and they were soon wobbling at 15 for two in their second innings, after both openers were caught behind inside the first five overs.

It was then that former Derbyshire batsman Hassan Adnan, playing his final match for the county, joined Martyn Cull in a third-wicket stand which yielded 199 runs, before being broken in the 59th over.

After facing 182 deliveries and striking ten fours, Cull eventually fell for 90 after mistiming a pull shot straight up into the air.

Adnan, who was on 99 at the time, duly completed his tenth century for the county, before he was stumped for 119 giving Saeed Bariwala the charge. His 48th and last innings for Suffolk, during which time he has scored 2,382 runs, covered 171 balls and contained 16 fours.

Ben Shepperson provided some lusty blows in his 25-ball 33 (three fours and two sixes) before the declaration came at 278 for five, setting the visitors 363 to win in what amounted to nine overs and today’s final day.

James Poulson removed James Morgan with the aid of a Sasha Ward slip catch, while Dan Birch looked menacing in reaching 19 not out by the close.

Earlier Lincolnshire’s Ollie Burford and Brett Houston had extended their stubborn seventh-wicket partnership to 91 spanning 30 overs, before Burford was caught at mid-wicket by Simon Guy, on as a substitute fielder for the injured Ben France.

Houston went without any further addition to the total, bowled by Tom Craddock, who then caught Bariwala in front of the sightscreen at long on.

Adam Shepherd opened his shoulders to smash 36 off just 24 deliveries (one four and four sixes) as the final wicket added a further 30 runs and cut Suffolk’s potentially match-winning lead to 84. He took 19 off one Tom Huggins over, one of his sixes clearing the pavilion and hit the Fives court behind.

Ivry Street scoreboard

LINCOLNSHIRE

First innings (continued from 60 for 6): O Burford c sub b Huggins 47, B Houston b Craddock 39, A Bariwala c Craddock b Huggins 4, A Shepherd not out 36, J Darke b Craddock 0. Extras 11. Total (51.5 overs) 165.

Fall: 7-125, 8-125, 9-135. 10-165.

Bowling: Bishop 11-3-30-0; Poulson 9-2-27-2; Swallow 14-4-24-3; Craddock 11.5-3-44-3; Huggins 6-1-37-2.

Second innings: D Birch not out 19, J Morgan c Ward b Poulson 2, Vikram Atri not out 3. Extras 8. Total (for 1 wkt, 9 overs) 32.

Fall: 1-12.

Bowling: Bishop 4-1-15-0; Poulson 3-1-12-1; Craddock 1-0-1-0; Huggins 1-0-4-0.

SUFFOLK

First innings: 249 for 9 (M Cull 58, T Huggins 56, A Shepherd 4 for 77).

Second innings: T Huggins c Burford b Houston 5, S Ward c Burford b Shepherd 7, M Cull c Birch b Darke 90, H Adnan st Burford b Bariwala 119, B Shepperson c Burford b Bariwala 33, C Warn not out 9. Extras 16. Total (for 5 wkts dec, 68 overs) 278.

Fall: 1-5, 2-15, 3-214, 4-241, 5-278.

Bowling: Shepherd 15-1-67-1; Houston 16-2-50-1; Bariwala 8-0-54-2; Darke 8-0-36-1; Andrews 15-1-50-0; Cook 6-1-17-0.

Suffolk 6pts, Lincolnshire 4pts