SUFFOLK’S bid to reach the final of the ECB 50+ County Championship for the first time ended in defeat.

They went down to a 38-run defeat to Warwickshire in Sunday’s quarter-final tie at Leamington CC.

Suffolk, who won the toss and elected to bowl, saw Warwickshire rack up 253 for four in their 45 overs.

Ex-Warwickshire and Gloucestershire player Simon Wootton was the cornerstone of their innings, scoring 100 off 118 deliveries with 15 fours.

He received good support from David Hawkes, whose 54 came at quicker than a run a ball and contained six fours and one six in a second-wicket stand of 114.

Chris Bramley (25 not out) and Richard Cooper (24 not out) boosted the final total, setting Suffolk 254 to win.

Simon Halliday (38) and Colin Walters put on 74 for the first wicket, before Walters and skipper Tony Stubbs added 42 for the second, Walters eventaully falling for 65 off 70 balls after hitting seven fours and one six.

Stubbs fell for 40 and Keith Howlett made 41 from just 32 deliveries before the innings fell away.

Suffolk were dismissed for 215 in 43.5 overs, with Wootton taking three for 14 and Cooper four for 21.

Meanwhile, The Marshall Hatchick Two Counties Championship veterans’ sides had mixed results in their four matches last week.

Steve Isaac (71 not out) and John Stonehouse (19 not out) shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 92 in a seven-wicket win against the Gents of Essex CID at Frinton on Monday.

Gents of Essex CID 156 (J Cannings 40, C Sotherby 38, J Stonehouse 2 for 10, I Johnson 2 for 25, C Hills 2 for 28, K Patel 2 for 44). Two Counties Over-50s 157 for 3 (S Isaac 71no, P Patel 21, E Dunkley 21, T Charrington 1-12, C Lees 1 for 19, A Garnham 1 for 31). Two Counties won by 7 wkts.

The Two Counties Over-50s, for whom Steve Bulger scored an unbeaten 115 containing 18 fours and four sixes, drew with Mistley Seniors and the Over-50s lost by four wickets to a more youthful Mistley XI on Wednesday.

Two Counties Over-50s 284 for 5 dec (S Bulger 115no, B Challis 40, M Southwell 35no, S Everett 3 for 67, R Dove 2 for 37). Mistley Seniors 177 for 7 (R Mills 60no, J Manning 55, A Jones 26, I Robinson 3 for 21, B Tompkins 2 for 42). Match drawn.

Two Counties Over-60s 195 for 5 dec (A Elsbury 34, B Ball 31, S Carpenter 31no, M Goff 3 for 53). Mistley XI 199 for 6 (T Scott 66, C Orman 53, R Powell 2 for 30, B Turley 2 for 41). Mistley XI won by 4 wkts.

Thursday’s match at Copford was abandoned due to heavy rain early in the hosts’ reply after John Stuck had scored a century for the visitors.

Two Counties Over-50s 242 for 5 dec (J Stuck 103, M Southwell 53no). Copford 9 for 0. Match abandoned.

Suffolk and Norfolk Over-70s entertained their Sussex counterparts at Diss and lost a close match by three wickets in the last over.

Sussex, led by former first-class player Derek Semmence, inserted the home side and bowled them out for what looked like a totally indequate 140 runs with only David Howe, Mick Smith and Bob Perret offering much resistance.

However, an inspired opening spell of nine overs for just 13 runs and three wickets by Russ Abbott put Sussex on the back foot, and the match was in the balance until the final over when with eight runs required and Sussex scrambled the winning runs.

Suffolk & Norfolk Over-70s 140 (Howe 29, Smith 27, Perrett 21). Sussex Over 70s 141 for 7 (Abbott 3 for 13, Howe 2 for 25). Sussex won by 3 wkts.

The Suffolk and Norfolk entertain Herts and Berks at Exning CC today, start 1pm.