SUFFOLK recorded one of their biggest ever Minor Counties Championship victories when they crushed Northumberland by 328 runs at Jesmond yesterday.

The home team, who had been set an impossible 508 to win, folded for 179 - the same as their first innings total - as Suffolk wrapped up an impressive victory and banked 22 points.

That takes them to 61 points from their four matches so far and keeps them in contention for the Eastern Division title with matches away to Norfolk and at home to Hertfordshire to come.

Suffolk decided to bat on for a further five overs yesterday morning, taking their lead beyond the 500 mark, as the county’s record-breaking fifth-wicket pair of Hassan Adnan and Chris Warn extended their stand to 293 - just two runs short of the county’s all-time record for any wicket.

For the record, Adnan ended unbeaten on 236 (28 fours, two sixes) compiled from 291 balls in 330 minutes. Warn’s undefeated 115 occupied 180 deliveries spanning 193 minutes laced with 12 fours and one six.

Northumberland’s batsmen were no match for Suffolk’s attack - six different bowlers claimed at least one wicket - as the county recorded their biggest victory, except for those matches won by an innings, bettering the win over Norfolk at Bury St Edmunds in 2000 where the margin was 225 runs.

Phil Edwards, just as he had done in the first innings, made the initial breakthrough, Daniel Shurben being caught at slip in the third over. Opening partner Matt Hunn then struck twice in three overs, clipping the top of Michael Turns off stump in the sixth over and two overs later cartwheeling one of Gary Scott’s stumps out of the ground.

That left Northumberland 27 for three, and ten overs later debutant Tom Rash claimed his first Minor Counties victim when he trapped Mark Dale leg before.

Skipper Justin Bishop removed Marc Symington, who had top-scored with 61 in the first innings, for a duck with the aid of a slip catch from James Finch off the last ball of the 21st over.

Finch then got in on the act with the ball, Martyn Cull snapping up Chris Hooker at short leg to end a sixth-wicket stand with Daniel Young that had harvested 51 runs in 23 overs.

Ben Maxted joined Young to frustrate Suffolk for a further 21 overs before he edged to slip, and three overs later Young was eighth man out when he played across the line and was bowled by Finch. His otherwise patient innings had lasted 189 balls across 216 minutes and included seven fours.

Huggins then picked up his second wicket when Richard Fearon gave him the charge and missed and in the next over Guy Saxton was caught and bowled by Finch trying to repeat the six he struck into the adjoining cemetery two balls earlier, to put the seal on Suffolk’s resounding success.

JESMOND SCOREBOARD

Suffolk (22pts) bt Northumberland (5pts) by 328 runs.

SUFFOLK

First innings: 232 (M Symington 5 for 53).

Second innings (Overnight 435 for 4): H Adnan not out 236, C Warn not out 115. Extras 30. Total (for 4 wkts, off 100 overs) 454.

Bowling: Waterson 11-3-37-0; Saxton 10-1-44-1; Fearon 33-3-132-1; Symington 31-2-155-1; Hooker 3-0-17-0; Turns 5-0-20-0; Dale 4-1-16-0; Young 1-0-6-0; Maxted 2-0-5-0.

NORTHUMBERLAND

First innings: 179 (M Symington 61, J Finch 6 for 30).

Second innings: M Dale lbw b Rash 20, D Shurben c Huggins b Edwards 0, M Turns b Hunn 5, G Scott b Hunn 5, D Young b Finch 75,

M Symington c Finch b Bishop 0, C Hooker c Cull b Finch 19, B Maxted c Bishop b Huggins 6, R Fearon b Huggins 8, G Saxton c & b Finch 8, K Waterson not out 0. Extras 33. Total (off 71.3 overs) 179.

Fall: 1-8, 2-17, 3-27, 4-54, 5-61, 6-112, 7-157, 8-169, 9-173, 10-179.

Bowling: Edwards 8-3-11-1; Hunn 13-2-45-2; Rash 7-2-16-1; Bishop 14-4-37-1; Finch 13.3-5-19-3; France 10-4-20-0; Huggins 6-1-13-2.