SUFFOLK’S 12-run loss to Hertfordshire in Sunday’s 50-over friendly contained two wildly contrasting innings.

The visitors’ innings of 233 for eight was built around an undefeated 124 off 149 deliveries by opener Daniel Blacktopp.

Blacktopp, who the week before had taken a century off the Hampshire 2nd XI attack, struck 11 fours in his knock as he underpinned a competitive total at the Victory Ground in Bury St Edmunds.

Suffolk bowled and fielded much better than the previous week against Essex 2nd XI when they conceded 50 extras, compared to just nine on Sunday. In fact, the fielding was as good as it has been at any time in the last couple of seasons.

Tom Huggins was the most successful bowler, picking up two wickets, while Suffolk Under-17 slow left armer Jack Beaumont, who plays for Mildenhall’s 2nd XI, confirmed his promise by sending down six tidy overs at a cost of 27 runs.

Beaumont was handed his debut after ex-Yorkshire, Middlesex, Derbyshire and Kent leg spinner Mark Lawson, who was named in the squad, dropped out for the second week running and, as a result, is now not expected to feature for Suffolk this season.

After Huggins and Martyn Cull shared an opening partnership of 45, Suffolk slipped to 51 for three and at 115 for seven the outcome was effectively over.

Both openers plus Sasha Warn and Justin Bishop all got into the 20s but failed to build a big innings as Suffolk kept the run-rate required to less than six an over but lost too many wickets.

After Suffolk’s ninth wicket fell with the total on 156, No.10 Matt Hunn launched a blistering attack on the visiting bowlers.

Hunn, whose highest score in a competitive match for the county is just seven not out, was dropped once as he made an undefeated 60 off only 49 balls with four sixes and two fours as Suffolk closed on a respectable 221 for nine.

Scoreboard

Hertfordshire won by 12 runs.

Hertfordshire: D Blacktopp not out 124, N Lamb run out 20, E Ballard lbw b Ogden 11, N Jeyaratnam b Bishop 23, J Southgate lbw b Huggins 33, B Frazer run out 1, S White b Swallow 1, C Stewart lbw b Huggins 0, J O’Nein c Swallow b Hunn 10, R Wynne not out 1. Extras 9. Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 233.

Fall: 1-45, 2-88, 3-136, 4-182, 5-186, 6-197, 7-200, 8-221.

Bowling: Hunn 9-1-33-1; Bishop 8-0-48-1; Rash 4-0-16-0; Ogden 7-0-23-1; Beaumont 6-0-27-0; Swallow 10-0-39-1; Huggins 6-0-42-2.

Suffolk: T Huggins c Jeyaratnam b White 25, M Cull c Stewart b White 28, B Shepperson lbw b Frazer 1, S Guy b White 4, S Ward b Lamb 29, C Swallow lbw b Southgate 10, J Bishop b Frazer 28, T Rash lbw b Southgate 0, A Ogden c Stewart b Frazer 6, M Hunn not out 60, J Beaumont not out 4. Extras 26. Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 221.

Fall: 1-45, 2-46, 3-51, 4-84, 5-103, 6-115, 7-115, 8-141, 9-156.

Bowling: Arif 10-1-31-0; Wynne 5-2-23-0; White 7-0-29-3; Frazer 10-1-31-3; Lamb 9-0-38-1; Southgate 9-1-59-2.