SUFFOLK'S hopes of reaching Lord's in the final of the Minor Counties Knock-Out Cup are now out of their hands.Yesterday's game against Staffordshire at Audley was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

By Elvin King

SUFFOLK'S hopes of reaching Lord's in the final of the Minor Counties Knock-Out Cup are now out of their hands.

Yesterday's game against Staffordshire at Audley was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

And their bad luck with the weather has left them depending on Bedfordshire beating Staffs when the last round of group games take place on Sunday June 4.

Suffolk showed commendable spirit and no little skill in beating both Beds and Norfolk at home in the two group games they played.

But with their match at Lincolnshire also falling foul of this month's dreadful wet weather, Suffolk face the frustrating prospect of remaining unbeaten but still going out of the competition.

With one point for a no-result yesterday Suffolk currently top the group with six. But they have finished their fixtures, and Staffs still have a fourth game to play when they meet Beds.

Staffs will reach seven points if they collect two for their third win in the group.

And to a make matters worse for Suffolk, if the game on June 4 is rained off and both teams end with six points Staffs will go through as they have a better average run rate, having won both their games in rain-shortened matches.

“It is very frustrating,” said Suffolk director of cricket Kevin Brooks. “But you cannot legislate for the weather, particularly at this time of the season.

“We have a side capable of winning the cup, but we now have to keep our fingers crossed that Beds can do us a favour by surprising Staffs.”

Brooks had no complaints at the game being called off soon after 1pm. He added: “It rained on and off on Saturday and through the night.

“It rained from the time we arrived at the ground at 9.30am and there were puddles on the ground by 1pm.

“We have had our chances of reaching Lord's, having played in two semi-finals in the previous three years.

“We did not do ourselves justice in those matches against Shropshire and Berkshire, so we cannot complain too much at the position we now find ourselves.

“If Staffordshire win the group they will deserve to go through.”

The counties that top the four groups play in the semi-finals with the winners qualifying for Lord's.

Suffolk turn their attentions to the Minor Counties Championship at the weekend when they play Norfolk in a three-day game that starts at Mildenhall on Sunday.

They will be looking to win the Eastern Division for the second year running, with former England-contracted player Chris Schofield making his Suffolk Championship debut.