NORFOLK had the better of the exchanges as Suffolk’s Minor Counties Championship campaign finally got under way yesterday.

After the opening day at Bury St Edmunds was washed out without a ball being bowled, the visitors declared on 263 for six from 90 overs after electing to bat first.

Suffolk crawled to 72 for two from 33 overs to trail by 191 runs with one day’s play remaining.

Attempts to make up for time lost on the opening day were thwarted as only 15 minutes had been played when nearly an hour was lost to rain.

The home team went into the match without Essex duo Tymal Mills and Michael Comber, who were both recalled by the first-class county ahead of yesterday’s CB40 match against Gloucestershire.

James Spelman and Carl Rogers took advantage of some poor Suffolk bowling to post an opening stand of 82, which included 29 extras, in 26 overs.

Spelman, whose innings spanned 180 deliveries and contained seven fours, and Trevor Ward doubled the total before Chris Swallow took the first of his four wickets with the last ball of the 56th over.

Suffolk, for whom Simon Rees sent down five wides in just two overs, had exerted little control until Swallow and Ben France entered the attack – a fact underlined by Swallow not conceding a run until the last ball of his seventh over.

Ward fell following the addition of eleven runs, Matt Hunn leaping to take an excellent catch above his head at deep mid off.

Swallow, who was the pick of the Suffolk attack, then removed wicket-keeper Stephen Gray in the 66th over.

Alistair Shearer joined Peter Lambert in a stand of 35 in ten overs before Lambert drilled a shot to Simon Rees who held a smart catch at short mid-on.

Tom Huggins claimed his second victim courtesy of a more straight forward catch from Rees at deep point as Luke Caswell helped himself to 37 from 42 balls with just one boundary before the visitors’ declaration came.

France appeared unhappy as he fell leg before with the total on 15 in the sixth over of Suffolk’s reply.

Huggins followed ten runs later, before Martyn Cull and Hassan Adnan added 47 in the 20 overs before the close, to leave both sides requiring something special to avoid a stalemate when play resumes at 10.30am today.

Victory Ground scoreboard

NORFOLK

First innings: J Spelman lbw b Swallow 62, C Rogers c Bishop b Swallow 31, T Ward c Hunn b Huggins 42, S Gray lbw b Swallow 4, P Lambert c Rees b Swallow 20, A Shearer c Rees b Huggins 25, L Caswell not out 37, G Walker not out 6. Extras 36.Total (for 6 wkts dec, 90 overs) 263.

Did not bat: C Brown, M Ecles, K Bunting.

Fall: 1-82, 2-162, 3-172, 4-176, 5-211, 6-239.

Bowling: Bishop 13-1-40-0; Hunn 10-2-20-0; Rash 3-0-22-0; Rees 2-0-16-0; Swallow 35-10-83-4; France 9-3-28-0; Huggins 18-5-47-2.

SUFFOLK

First innings: T Huggins lbw b Eccles 14, B France b Bunting 5, M Cull not out 25, H Adnan not out 17. Extras 11.

Total (for 2 wkts, 33 overs) 72.

Did not bat: S Rees, C Warn, C Swallow, J Bishop, S Ward, T Rash, M Hunn.

Fall: 1-15, 2-25.

Bowling: Eccles 13-5-21-1; Bunting 10-2-23-1; Spelman 4-1-10-0; Brown 4-1-10-0; Caswell 2-2-0-0.

Suffolk 2pts, Norfolk 2pts.