SUFFOLK will resume their first innings 165 runs behind hosts Cambridgeshire after the opening day of their Minor Counties Championship match at Wisbech.

Suffolk, who won the toss and elected to field, bowled out Cambridgeshire for 251, before closing on 86 for two from 21 overs in reply.

In addition to losing Tom Craddock, who was recalled by Essex, Suffolk were without his county colleague Michael Comber due to illness.

That meant that Bury St Edmunds bowled Tom Robotham and Mildenhall all-rounder Ben Shepperson were called up for their Minor Counties debuts.

After losing Alex Fullarton to Tom Rash in the 13th over, Peter Richer and Darren Bicknell added 74 for the second wicket, before Bicknell fell lbw.

After a further 31 run were added Cambridgeshire lost three wickets for the addition of just one more run in the space of nine balls,

Shepperson, who bowled well after a nervous start, claimed his first wicket in his third over, and followed that up with another with the aid of a good catch by wicket-keeper Chris Warn.

A 44-run stand between Paul McMahon and Paul Summerskill was ended when Warn claimed the third of his four catches.

Sasha Ward, who was promoted to open as Tom Huggins had a back injury, was run out by a direct hit by Richer in the fourth over. Martyn Cull was dismissed four overs later, but Ben France and Hassan Adnan stood firm until the close of play.

WISBECH SCOREBOARD

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

First innings

P Richer c Robotham b France 35, A Fullarton c Warn b Rash 17, D Bicknell lbw b Bishop 34, C Thompson c Rash b France 20,

G Goosen b Hunn 1, L Bruce c Warn b Shepperson 31, J Williams lbw b Shepperson 14, P McMahon c Warn b Hunn 39,P Summerskill c Warn b Hunn 19, J Barrs not out 0, J Dawborn c Bishop b Huggins 1. Extras 40. Total (85.3 overs) 251.

Fall: 1-35, 2-109, 3-140, 4-141, 5-141, 6-172, 7-201, 8-245, 9-250, 10-251.

Bowling: Hunn 15-6-36-3; Bishop 16-4-44-1; Rash 6-0-19-1; France 17-2-49-2; Huggins 14.3-5-38-1; Shepperson 12-0-45-2; Robotham 5-1-14-0.

SUFFOLK

First innings

B France not out 42, S Ward run out 8, M Cull lbw b Williams 8, H Adnan not out 15. Extras 13. Total (for 2 wkts, 21 overs) 86.

Did not bat yesterday: T Huggins, T Robotham, C Warn J Bishop, T Rash, M Hunn, B Shepperson.

Fall: 1-16, 2-44.

Bowling: Barrs 5-0-24-0; Williams 7-1-30-1; McMahon 6-1-18-0; Dawborn 2-0-12-0; Bruce 1-0-1-0.

Cambridgeshire 2pts, Suffolk 4pts