Suffolk had halved one foursomes match and lost two others when Biggs and Calvin Sherwood (Rookery Park) were on the 18th tee one up against Cambridgeshire captain Mark Reeve and Olly Tuck.

It was a pressure situation and both teams took a provisional off the tee. Reeve’s ball was in trouble down the left and Sherwood’s was in trees on the right. Both balls were found.

Biggs had a full swing and fired a six-iron 238 yards downhill out of the trees to within 10 feet of the pin. Tuck also made a brave recovery but was just short of the green. Suffolk won this match two up and needed to win five of the eight singles for victory.

It might even have been 2-2 at lunch. Suffolk captain Jack Cardy and Paul Waring were one up on the last tee but Waring found a bunker and the hole was lost.

Suffolk crashed in the singles. Too many putts were left short, too many fairways were missed and the top four matches were lost.

Cambridgeshire had victory secured before Josh Driver halved his match and debut-making James Tyler was the only Suffolk winner.

Chris Bartrum was three up early on but lost his way against young Ollie Rust. The other Suffolk players were trailing from an early stage.

Cardy will be able to call on county champion Gregor Tait, who was playing in the Lytham Trophy, for the next match against Norfolk at Sheringham on June 4.

There will be others back from university knocking on the door. This was a disappointing setback against a county with whom Suffolk were battling to avoid the wooden spoon last year.

The Suffolk second team halved their match against Cambridgeshire at Ipswich Golf Club. It was a match they would have expected to win.

Josh Cottrell and Jasper Johnson crashed 8 and 7 in the foursomes on their home course. Both made amends by winning their singles.

Chris Duffy collected maximum points as did Jack Forgan. The star for Cambridgeshire was former Suffolk player Chris Vince wo has moved from Haverhill to Gog Magog.

Scores

Cambridgeshire 9 Suffolk 3

At Gog Magog (Wandlebury course)

Foursomes (Cambridgeshire names first): Owen Davies and Danny Loveday (Brampton Park) halved with Jack Cardy (Hintlesham) and Paul Waring (Felixstowe Ferry); Ollie Rust and David Quinney (Gog Magog) beat Chris Bartrum and Josh Driver (Diss) 2 and 1; Callum Brookes (Saffron Walden) and Ed Dimambro (Gog Magog) beat James Tyler and Sam Byford (Ipswich) 3 and 2; Mark Reeve and Olly Tuck (Saffron Walden) lost to James Biggs (Diss) and Calvin Sherwood (Rookery Park) two down.

Singles: Davies beat Cardy 2 and 1, Dimambro beat Waring 5 and 3, Loveday beat Biggs 4 and 3, Rust beat Bartrum 2 and 1, Tuck halved with Driver, Brookes beat Byford 2 and 1, Reeve lost to Tyler 2 and 1, Quinney beat Sherwood 3 and 1.

Suffolk second team 6 Cambridgeshire 6

At Ipswich Golf Club: (Suffolk names first): Jasper Johnson and Josh Cottrell (Ipswich) lost to Paul Hodgson (Ramsey) and Chris Vince (Gog Magog) 8 and 7; Nathan Overton (Woodbridge) and Chris Duffy (Gorleston) beat Luke Ryan (Ely City) and Ollie Wright 3 and 1, Jamie Jones (Hintlesham) and Warren Goddard (Ipswich) lost to Owen Meeds and Aron Kumar (St Neots) one down; Josh Robertson (Ufford Park) and Jack Forgan (Stowmarket) beat Matt Hartley (Saffron Walden) and Tom Rogers (Gog Magog) 2 and 1.

Singles: Jones lost to Vince 3 and 1, Cottrell beat Hodgkin 5 and 4, Overton lost to Ryan 3 and 1, Johnson beat Meeds 2 and 1, Duffy beat Wright 3 and 2, Goddard lost to Kumar 5 and 4, Robertson lost to Rogers 3 and 2, Forgan beat Hartley 3 and 2.

Suffolk Seniors start their East Anglian League programme with a tough match against Northamptonshire, the reigning champions, at Kettering tomorrow.

Northants have held the East Anglian Daily Times Shield for the past two years.

Suffolk’s Stephen Whymark will have a late fitness test with Kevin Brooks standing by to deputise. Stephen Duffety of Bury St Edmunds makes his League debut having played in the two friendly matches against Kent and Essex.

The Suffolk team from: Roger Taylor (Aldeburgh), Steve Mann, Andy Whittaker, Mark Jackson, Stephen Whymark (all Woodbridge), Graham Shillings (Rookery Park), Trevor Golton (Stowmarket), Nigel Fosker (Felixstowe Ferry), Stephen Duffety (Bury St Edmunds), Trevor Hellyer and Kevin Brooks (both Hintlesham).