SUFFOLK’S Minor Counties KO Trophy campaign is over for another season after a disappointing four-wicket defeat to Cambridgeshire yesterday.

Entering the match at Bury St Edmunds knowing that a win would see them top Group 4 and guarantee a home draw in the quarter-finals, Suffolk were dismissed for just 176 after winning the toss and electing to bat.

They found scoring runs at the Victory Ground difficult and were bowled out 11 balls shy of their allotted 50 overs.

Although they had Cambridgeshire tottering at 14 for two and then 66 for five, a sixth-wicket stand of 84 in 131 deliveries between Sean Park and Paul McMahon paved the way for the visitors’ victory.

They came together at the end of the 17th over after Craig Park and Andy Laws had departed in quick succession and stayed together until the 39th over when McMahon was caught in the covers.

Lewis Bruce then came in and struck 24 of the next 28 runs off just 16 balls with four boundaries as Cambridgeshire won with 7.2 overs to spare against a Suffolk side who were unable to call upon the services of Essex duo Max Osborne and Michael Comber, who had both been named in their original squad.

Sean Park, who was dropped at mid-wicket by Scott Harvey in the 37th over and again two overs later in the covers by Ben France, ended undefeated on 48 compiled from 110 balls with just three fours.

There was no sign of Suffolk’s struggles to come after openers Tom Huggins and Ben France scored 30 off 43 balls in what proved to be the highest partnership of the innings before Huggins was caught behind.

Fracne fell leg before just six runs later and John Sadler was then caught at mid off to leave Suffolk 46 for three.

Martyn Cull was one of four Suffolk batsman to pass 20 without posting a significant contribution when he was caught at the wicket by Chris Budd, and then skipper Justin Bishop holed out to extra cover. Chris Warn was just starting to bat aggressively when McMahon held on to a hard-hit return.

Chris Swallow was tapped in front of his stumps before Harvey’s first innings for the county ended with him being run out as he tried to take two to third man and was beaten by Tom Mees’ return to the keeper.

Late call-up Simon Rees was caught at long off and the innings was terminated in the 49th over when Ben Stephens was adjudged lbw to Mees’ first delivery.

Despite defending a low score Suffolk’s hopes were raised when Bishop bowled Alan Burton in the third over and Cull snapped up David Clarke at short leg in the very next over.

Nick Ferraby and Craig Park then added 44 for the third wicket before Harvey took his first catch for the county at square cover to account for Ferraby, who struck the only six of the innings, in the 12th over.

Wicket-keeeper Warn held a faint tickle off Craig Park and Laws had only made a single when he edged to slip to leave Cambridgeshire precariously placed at 66 for five, but Sean Park and McMahon then assumed control to snuff out Suffolk’s chances of progress.

Victory Ground scorecard

SUFFOLK

T Huggins c Budd b Mees 21, B France lbw b Laws 9, J Sadler c Mees b Cowan 7, M Cull c Budd b Bruce 21, J Bishop c Burton b McMahon 20, C Warn c & B McMahon 22, S Harvey run out 10, C Swallow lbw b Bruce 3, S Rees c Cowan b S Park 11, J Finch not out 14, B Stephens lbw b Mees 2. Extras 36. Total (off 48.1 overs) 176.

Fall: 1-30, 2-36, 3-46, 4-73, 5-89, 6-113, 7-128, 8-139, 9-162, 10-176.

Bowling: Mees 9.1-3-21-2; Laws 9-2-28-1; Cowan 5-0-18-1; McMahon 10-2-32-2; Bruce 10-1-33-2; S Park 5-0-32-1.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

D Clarke c Cull b Finch 10, A Burton b Bishop 2, N Ferraby c Harvey b Finch 29, C Park c Warn b France 19, S Park not out 48,

A Laws c Sadler b Swallow 1, P McMahon c Harvey b Bishop 29, L Bruce not out 24. Extras 16. Total (for 6 wkts, off 42.4 overs) 178.

Did not bat: C Budd, T Mees, J Cowan.

Fall: 1-11, 2-14, 3-58, 4-65, 5-66, 6-150.

Bowling: Bishop 10-1-41-2; Finch 10-0-49-2; Swallow 9.4-3-26-1; France 10-0-42-1; Huggins 2-0-11-0; Rees 1-0-5-0.

Cambridgeshire won by 4 wkts.