SUFFOLK will be hoping for dry weather and some early runs tomorrow if they are going to capture maximum Minor Counties Championship points against a youthful Buckinghamshire side at Ivry Street, Ipswich.

Elvin King

SUFFOLK will be hoping for dry weather and some early runs tomorrow if they are going to capture maximum Minor Counties Championship points against a youthful Buckinghamshire side at Ivry Street, Ipswich.

Phil Caley's side gained a first innings advantage of 88 - and their full quota of bonus points - on a day that started late and then had a 45-minute tea interval because of rain.

Play went on until 8pm tonight with Suffolk increasing their advantage to 151. On a good wicket kept in prime condition by the efficient ground staff at Ipswich School, Caley will want to get Bucks interested in chasing a total.

But on the other hand not present them with a total that might prove comfortable to achieve if his bowlers are not spot.

At 32 for four early afternoon, Suffolk were in a very strong position with thoughts of forcing the visitors to follow on. But a stand of 132 for the fifth wicket by debut maker Sam Brandon, 18, and Jason Harrison saw Bucks come right back into the game.

The pitch offered little for the seamers and a tidy short spell by young Simon Rees ended with Brandon hitting him for 20 in his last four balls - bringing up the batsman's half century in the process.

While Brandon was going from 30 to 74 his partner was moving from 30 to just 34. When Tom Huggins' spin finally had Brandon caught at mid-off, the more experienced but equally bespectacled Harrison took over the mantle guiding the visitors to a further 70 runs before he was caught deep on the leg side.

Play was mainly played under leaden skies, and ironically when the sun did appear mid-afternoon half of this time was spent hunting for the ball after Brandon had deposited it into the hedge in front of Holly Road.

While Huggins wiled away happily at one end, Caley realised his best option was spin and as well as Justin Bishop and Andrew McGarry bowled he used Chris Swallow extensively.

Swallow was his usual measly self and full deserved his three wickets with Bucks back in the pavilion just before 7pm.

Suffolk's hopes of a bundle of middle evening runs disappeared when big-hitter Huggins was caught off an attempted pull, but Ben France and Martyn Cull kept a reasonably high tempo - with more of the same the order of the day tomorrow morning.

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IVRY STREET SCOREBOARD

Suffolk 8 bonus points, Buckinghamshire 4 bonus points

SUFFOLK

First innings: 325 for 5 wkts dec (Huggins 95, Adnan 72no).

SECOND INNINGS

T Huggins c Arif b Harper 9

B France not out 24

M Cull not out 19

Extras 11

Total (for 1 wkt, 13 overs) 63

Fall of wkts: 1-11,

Bowling: Stanway 2-0-3-0, Harper 4-0-13-1, Arif 5-0-24-0, Tuohey 2-0-8-0.

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BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

First innings

(overnight 10 for 1)

K Medlycott c Warn b McGarry 17

S Stanway lbw Bishop 3

J Harrison c King b Swallow 69

M Jones c Adnan b Bishop 4

S Brandon c Bishop b Huggins 79

M Watson c Cull b McGarry 11

H Gandam c Adnan b Swallow 8

A Wynd c Cull b Huggins 12

G Harper c Caley b Swallow 2

U Arif not out 0

Extras 32

Total 77.3 overs) 237

Fall of wkts: 1-6, 2-22, 3-26, 4-32, 5-164, 6-185, 7-209, 8-232, 9-236.

Bowling: McGarry 14-4-28-2, Bishop 17-4-55-3, Swallow 25.3-7-54-3, King 3-0-25-0, Rees 5-2-29-0, Huggins 13-2-35-2.