SUFFOLK warmed up for their competitive season with a comfortable 89-run victory over Essex 2nd XI in a friendly at Ivry Street, Ipswich, yesterday.Phil Caley and his men, so unlucky to fail to win any silverware last season, play Staffordshire at Ipswich School next Sunday in their first Minor Counties Knock-Out Cup game.

By Elvin King

SUFFOLK warmed up for their competitive season with a comfortable 89-run victory over Essex 2nd XI in a friendly at Ivry Street, Ipswich, yesterday.

Phil Caley and his men, so unlucky to fail to win any silverware last season, play Staffordshire at Ipswich School next Sunday in their first Minor Counties Knock-Out Cup game.

And if they show the same form they will stand every chance of picking up a win.

Tom Huggins, who like Chris Warn played for Essex II at Hampshire last week and scored a century, was at his destructive best against them this time, screeching to his century in just 120 balls and hitting four sixes and 15 fours in his innings.

This lasted a total of 134 balls, with one six landing on the roof of a mid-wicket school building.

All the home batsmen gave Huggins good backing as Suffolk set Essex a large target to chase.

The recent dry weather ensured that conditions favoured batsmen but Nick Lee and Phil Caley took fine catches to have four Essex players back in the pavilion with the score under 100.

Justin Bishop and Paul King bowled tightly in the middle of the innings and spinner Chris Swallow was his usual tidy self.

Both teams played with 12 men - with only 10 allowed to bat.

Suffolk v Essex II.

Suffolk won by 89 runs

SUFFOLK

T Huggins c Westley b Palladino 133

B France c Grayson b Palladino 25

A Mawson c James b Coomber 29

T Hembry c Chambers b Coomber 19

N Lee c Chambers b Tavarasa 23

C Warn b Ahmed 30

C Swallow b Ahmed 1

J Bishop not out 4

I Morton not out 1

Extras 12

Total (for 7 wkts, 50 overs) 277

Fall of wkts: 1-58, 2-113, 3-148, 4-202, 5-275, 6-260, 7-268.

Bowling: T Palladino 10-1-50-2, M Chambers 8-0-47-0, R Ahmed 8-1-42-2, M Westfield 6-0-52-0, T Westley 7-1-27-0, M Coomber 5-0-24-2, Tavarasa 6-0-28-1.

ESSEX II

G James c Lee b Smith 34

A West c Hembry b Bishop 21

T Westley st Warn b Bishop 69

D Thomas c Morton b Bishop 4

M Westfield c Caley b King 8

T Palladino c Mawson b King 0

P Grayson c France b Huggins 12

K Holmes c Caley b Swallow 0

R Ahmed c and b Swallow 18

M Chambers b Smith 4

M Coomber not out 1

Extras 17

Total (42.5 overs) 188

Fall of wkts: 1-45, 2-69, 3-74, 4-93, 5-101, 6-131, 7-133, 8-163, 9-181.

Bowling: M Smith 9.5-1-58-2, Morton 6-2-27-0, Bishop 8-1-21-3, Swallow 10-1-48-2, King 6-2-17-2, Huggins 3-0-14-1.