HONOURS ended even on day one of Suffolk’s final Minor Counties Championship match of the season at Bury St Edmunds yesterday.

Visitors Hertfordshire closed on 77 for one in their first innings – 201 runs behind Suffolk – at the Victory Ground.

Suffolk, who won the toss and elected to bat, made 278 for nine declared from 90 overs as Hassan Adnan top scored with 91.

The ex-Derbyshire batsman, who struck nine fours and one six in his 159-ball stay at the crease, passed 2,000 championship runs for the county in the process.

Opener Ben France was first to fall in the eighth over, caught at the wicket off 15-year-old George Scott, who extracted some extra bounce.

Tom Huggins, who had progressed to 32, was out in the 19th over, caught in the slips after hitting four boundaries from 57 balls received and adding 44 from 68 deliveries with Martyn Cull.

The Clacton batsman was caught behind six overs later, paving the way for skipper Justin Bishop to join Adnan in a 73-run stand spanning 23 overs.

Bishop’s 39 occupied 68 balls and contained five fours and a six before he was leg before in the 47th over to end their 136-ball alliance.

Chris Warn chipped to mid wicket where Jason McNally held the chance in the 58th over, and three balls later and without further addition to the score Archie Gravell was smartly stumped by Simon Greenall as he dragged his back foot out of his crease.

That left Suffolk 173 for six, but Adnan and James Finch put on 52 in 89 balls before Adnan was adjudged lbw in the 73rd over after batting for 193 minutes.

Tom Rash appeared unhappy to be given out caught behind when he was dismissed three overs later, and Finch’s innings was terminated by a good catch by Scott on the mid-wicket boundary.

That brought Matt Hunn in to join Phil Edwards and the last pair added 29 valuable runs in 50 balls, including a six over long-on from Edwards off Ben Frazer to secure Suffolk’s third batting point. Edwards ended 30 not out made from 41 deliveries as Suffolk declared at the end of the 90th over.

Hunn was soon in the thick of the action with the ball in his hand, removing opener Louis Champion in the eighth over with 48 runs already on the board with the aid of a catch from Cull at short leg as he fended off a lifting delivery.

That was to prove Suffolk’s solitary success, ex-Middlesex all-rounder and Hertfordshire skipper Jamie Hewitt, who will resume this morning on 44 after scoring seven fours in 69 balls, and Steven Snell adding a further 29 runs without being parted before stumps.

VICTORY GROUND SCORECARD

SUFFOLK

First innings: T Huggins c Snell b Hewitt 32, B France c Greenall b Scott 8, M Cull c Greenall b McNally 19, H Adnan lbw b White 91, J Bishop lbw b McNally 39, C Warn c McNally b Frazer 11, A Gravell st Greenall b Frazer 0, J Finch c Scott b Frazer 28, T Rash c Greenall b White 3, P Edwards not out 30, M Hunn not out 7. Extras 10.

Total (for 9 wkts dec, off 90 overs) 278.

Fall: 1-10, 2-54, 3-69, 4-142, 5-173, 6-173, 7-225, 8-228, 9-249.

Bowling: McNally 18-3-44-2; Scott 12-1-31-1; White 14-4-27-2; Hewitt 15-5-33-1; Wynne 6-1-18-0; Frazer 25-2-116-3.

HERTFORDSHIRE

First innings: J Hewitt not out 44, L Champion c Cull b Hunn 10, S Snell not out 7. Extras 16. Total (for 1 wkt, off 21 overs) 77.

Fall: 1-48.

Bowling: Edwards 4-1-16-0; Hunn 7-1-35-1; France 7-2-10-0; Finch 3-1-6-0.

Suffolk 3pts, Hertfordshire 4pts.