Staffordshire’s hopes of enjoying a bumper Bank Holiday haul in the NCCA Knockout Trophy were thwarted by rivals Suffolk.
Staffs had opened up their Group Two campaign with a comfortable victory over Herefordshire on Sunday.
However, they couldn’t replicate that performance at Bignall End as they slipped to a 67-run defeat.
Staffordshire always faced a tough task to make it back-to-back victories once Suffolk posted 312-6 from their 50 overs.
The home side made a decent-enough fist of chasing down that total with Matthew Morris (55), Nils Priestley (50) and James Kettleborough (43) all impressing.
But just as partnerships were gathering pace, wickets were lost to stunt Staffordshire’s momentum and the game gradually slipped away from them.
The writing was on the wall long before Jacob Garlick was run out to end the hosts’ innings with the score on 245.
‘Famous face’
It was still a fine occasion at Boon Hill as the club welcomed Staffordshire’s first team to the ground for the first time 35 years.
A big crowd, which included Bignall End old boy and ex-England wicketkeeper Bob Taylor, had to brave the cold weather, but were warmed by some fine strokeplay on a fast-scoring ground.
Suffolk opted to bat after winning the toss and went on to produce the ideal 50-over innings as they build a solid platform before exploding in the closing stages.
Captain Ketts hits century to set Staffordshire on the way to NCCA Knockout Trophy win
Teenager Ollie Burle was tasked with playing the anchor role, which he did to perfection with 82, while Darren Ironside (39), Alex Oxley (35) and Jack Beaumont (31) batted around him.
And that set the stage for Josh Cantrell to blaze a 27-ball 54 not out in the dying embers to power the East Anglians beyond the 300-mark.
Staffordshire, as a bowling unit, didn’t quite hit their lines and lengths consistently enough in the early overs.
It was imperative that bowlers didn’t stray as any shot five yards either side of fielders was being waved to the boundary by fielders.
‘Surprise’
Suffolk openers Beaumont and Burle looked to be settling into their task with a first-wicket stand of 43 before the former fell in the ninth over.
Beaumont seemed somewhat surprised when Sam Atkinson unleashed a full toss and he could only slap it into the hands of Joe Hawkins at cover.
Burle went quietly about his business while the experience Darren Ironside joined him to keep the score board ticking over.
Staffordshire skipper Kettleborough turned to his spinners to wrestle back control and it was a ploy which worked as the run rate dipped.
Still, Staffs had to wait until the 24th over – and the scoreboard showing 117 – for their next breakthrough.
It was slow left-armer Tom Brett who took it when he tempted Beaumont to mis-time a drive into the hands of Atkinson.
The dangerous George Rhodes was next in, however, and he eased himself to 25 as he nudged and nurdled the home attack around.
But with the score on 161, his alliance with Burle was ended when he didn’t connect properly with a slog sweep and was pouched by Morris in the deep.
‘Over and out’
Burle continued to impress, but in the 41st over, having reached 82, he departed the action.
Paceman Liam Hurt was drafted back into the attack and he induced an edge from the youngster through to keeper Callum Hawkins. His innings featured six fours and one six.
It was at this point that Suffolk opted to move through the gears to build on their solid foundations.
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Kieron Pell fell cheaply when he hoicked Priestley to Garlick on the boundary, but Oxley impressed before he was dismissed by Garlick with the aid of a James Abbotts catch.
However, that pushed Cantrell front and centre and he blitzed four fours and four sixes in his knock to leave Suffolk with a big total to their name.
Suffolk’s tactics had been spot on with their firm base allowing them to smash 109 runs from the final 10 overs of the innings.
Batsmen were still getting full value for their shots – and Staffordshire were intent on making a fast start.
‘Early setbacks’
Callum Hawkins was the first to fall for 16 when he was adjudged lbw to left-arm seamer Matt Wareing, while brother Joe Hawkins departed for 13 to leave Staffordshire 53-2.
In a similar vein to Suffolk’s innings, Morris and Kettleborough then set about getting to grips with conditions and chipping away at the target.
They were both playing relatively freely, but a moment of magic parted the duo.
Kettleborough, fresh from his century against Herefordshire, was out to spinner Rhodes, who took a remarkable one-handed return catch to break the stand.
Staffordshire were 126-3 at that juncture and, possibly, would have been satisfied with their progress to date, even if they had lost a wicket more than they would have wanted.
But a trend of wickets falling as stands developed continued and just two overs after drinks, Morris was trapped lbw by spinner Thomas Harper. He hit eight boundaries and one six.
‘Key stand’
With some youthful faces in the side, Staffordshire’s hopes realistically rested on the shoulders of Michael Hill and Priestley from this point.
They added 69 for the fifth wicket and the prospect of a tense finish was starting to come into view.
However, just after reaching his half-century, Priestley was caught in the deep by Burle off spinner Cantrell to provide Staffordshire with a body blow.
That left the home side on 202-5 with 13 overs to go… but just five runs later their hopes were ultimately dashed.
Hill, having made 26, rocked back to cut a short ball from Cantrell, but could only carve it straight to Rhodes at backward point.
From that point on there was only going to be one winner.
Atkinson and Hurt were bowled by Daniel Shanks either side of Abbotts being castled by Beaumont. And when Garlick was run out it really was all over for Staffordshire.
It was a disappointing end to the weekend for Staffs, but they have plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
They have shown some positive signs in their two matches so far and now head to Shifnal to play Shropshire on Sunday aiming to return to winning ways.
Main image: Nils Priestley scored a half-century for Staffordshire in the NCCA Knockout Trophy defeat by Suffolk at Bignall End. Picture: David Peters