Suffolk’s resources fully stretched

SEVENTEEN-year-old Sasha Ward will become one of the youngest players in Suffolk’s history in the Minor Counties Championship match starting tomorrow against Buckinghamshire.

The Ipswich School batsman, who has scored two half centuries in his last two innings for Suffolk’s Development XI and plays his club cricket for Copdock & Old Ipswichians, is handed his debut in the match at Gerrards Cross (start 11am).

Suffolk’s resources have been fully stretched with eight players ruled out as the Eastern Division leaders are forced to make four changes from the side that demolished Staffordshire inside two days at Ipswich School.

Skipper Justin Bishop has undergone an operation to remove a fragment of bone from his troublesome left knee and will now begin his rehabilitation while Chris Lomas fractured a finger on his debut against Cambridgeshire and is once again ruled out.

Missing from the side that defeated Staffs are Paul King, who got married on Thursday, Ben France (holiday), Chris Swallow (work commitments) and Freddie Klokker, who is currently playing for Denmark in the ICC European Division One tournament in Jersey.

Added to that Mark Nunn, who also made his debut against Cambridgeshire, is on holiday and Sudbury all-rounder Darren Batch was asked to play but can’t get time off work so near to the end of the school term and so is denied the opportunity of making his first appearance.

Suffolk are therefore grateful for the co-operation of neighbours Essex for releasing not only Tony Palladino but also Michael Comber, who will be making his Minor Counties debut.

Also coming into the side will be Andrew Mawson, who has not appeared for the county since playing in a Minor Counties KO Cup game in May last year, and Pete Turnbull, who has missed the last two matches because of playing for MCC Universities.

Kevin Brooks, the county’s director of cricket said: “We have been fortunate that over the last few years our availability has been good and that is why we have enjoyed the success we have had.

“Our resources have been fully stretched for this game due to non-availability, but despite this we have still put together a side capable of getting a result against Bucks.

“we have been able to being in players with experience as well as Sasha Ward, who is one of the up-and-coming players in the county and deserves his chance at this level.”

Suffolk: T Huggins (capt), A Mawson, M Cull, H Adnan, S Ward, C Warn (wkt), A Palladino, M Comber, P Turnbull, S Rees, J Finch.