Suffolk completre win inside two days

Elvin King

SUFFOLK'S cricketers whipped Cumberland inside two days to claim maximum Minor Counties Championship points at Ransomes Sports Club, Ipswich.

Phil Caley's side gave an efficient all-round display to win by an innings and eight runs, and set themselves up for a crack at winning the Eastern Division title this season.

This comprehensive victory in the Biffa Waste Services-sponsored clash made up for the most part for the loss of their previous game at Bedfordshire that was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Surprisingly the sun shone on what was the first day of Wimbledon, and Suffolk made full use of the bright conditions with spinners Tom Huggins and Chris Swallow taking the lion's share of the wickets.

Swallow has always been considered an all-rounder, but Huggins has come into his own in the bowling department this season, and he ended the day with seven wickets under his belt.

His off-breaks - well-flighted from a considerable height - were too much for a Cumberland side that had no star turn and a tail that crumbled far too easily.

After scoring 357 on the first day to achieve the maximum four batting bonus points, Suffolk toiled for the first hour yesterday as Andrew Gleave and Scott Kirwin constructed a first innings 76-run fifth wicket partnership. But when Huggins joined seamer Paul King - who bowled a controlled marathon spell - things turned Suffolk's way.

From 168 for four, Cumberland collapsed to 177 for seven, and were all out for 191 - losing their last three wickets for the addition of just one run.

Caley, who organised his troops well all day, had to decide whether to ask his opponents to bat again after they fell 16 short of avoiding the follow-on figure. This he decided to do and there was only minimal resistance as the Suffolk bowlers again went about their business.

James Lowe achieved the rare feat of batting right through the innings unbeaten, but the only serious support he received was from Kirwin. But he summed up the Cumberland cause when he ballooned the last ball before tea high up into the air.

Gary Pratt, famous for running out Ricky Ponting when acting as England 12th man in the 2005 Ashes series, played a few flowing shots in both innings but then succumbed all too easily and both wicketkeeper Callum Moffatt and Matthew Gorley bagged a pair as the visiting innings disintegrated for a second time.

Huggins again joined in the fun with three wickets, a haul he shared with the dependable Swallow and Andrew McGarry who finished off the tail.

Caley was full of praise for his side saying: “This was an outstanding team effort. Every player contributed with our slow bowlers excelling on a wicket that did not really suit spin bowling.

“Our fielding was exceptional and although this result does not make up for the wash-out against Bedfordshire it puts us back in the race.”

Suffolk (24pts) bt Cumberland (5pts) by an innings and eight runs.

SUFFOLK

First innings: 357 (Caley 83, Swallow 55, Miller 4 for 79).

CUMBERLAND

First innings (overnight 97 for 4)

A Gleave c Bishop b King 66

S Kirwin c McGarry b Huggins 43

C Moffatt lbw King 0

M Gorley c Cull b Huggins 0

G Dawson c Bishop b Huggins 1

C Miller c Rees b Huggins 0

M Sharp not out 0

Extras 27

Total (58.3 overs) 191

Fall of wkts: 1-27, 2-37, 3-66, 4-92, 5-168, 6-176, 7-177, 8-190, 9-190.

Bowling: McGarry 14-5-37-1, Bishop 12-0-64-2, Rees 3-0-12-0, King 17-5-34-2, Swallow 2-1-1-1, France 4-0-16-0, Huggins 6.3-2-14-4.

Second innings

J Lowe not out 71

A Gleave b McGarry 1

S Burrows c Warn b Bishop 4

G Pratt b Swallow 18

J Miles lbw Swallow 11

S Kirwin c Bishop b Huggins 17

C Moffatt c Swallow b Huggins 0

M Gorley b Huggins 0

G Dawson c Huggins b Swallow 0

C Miller c Warn b McGarry 27

M Sharp b McGarry 1

Extras 8

Total (50.5 overs) 158

Fall of wkts: 1-11, 2-22, 3-51, 4-82, 5-107, 6-108, 7-109, 8-109, 9-153.

Bowling: Rees 1-0-5-0, Bishop 9-2-23-1, McGarry 8.5-1-21-3, King 6-1-19-0, Swallow 15-2-45-3, Huggins 11-1-44-3.