Swardeston professional Joe Gatting and Copdock & Old Ipswichian all-rounder Ben Claydon shine on Suffolk debuts in four-wicket victory against Cambridgeshire
Debutants Ben Claydon and Joe Gatting both contributed with bat and ball to a winning start to the season for Suffolk’s white-ball side.
Suffolk defeated Cambridgeshire by four wickets with nine balls to spare in a 50-over friendly at Ipswich School on Sunday after restricting the visitors to 213-9.
Claydon, who made 58 off 107 balls, and Copdock club-mate Jack Beaumont, whose 50 spanned 77 deliveries, shared an opening stand of 120 to put Suffolk in the ascendency.
Professional Gatting’s undefeated 31 from 41 balls then steered Suffolk home, after they had looked on course for a comfortable victory until the loss of three quick wickets.
Suffolk, who won the toss and elected to field, had earlier kept the visitors’ batsmen in check throughout their innings, with Lee Thomason’s 59 not out boosting their final total.
Skipper Beaumont shuffled his attack as he used eight different bowlers, with Sudbury's Darren Batch claiming figures of 10-1-40-3.
Beaumont weighed in with two for 25 from five overs, while there was a wicket apiece for Claydon, Matt Wareing and Paddy Sadler. Gatting sent down five overs for just 14 runs.
Suffolk impressed in the field with seven of the eight batsmen out caught, with Sudbury’s Ben Parker taking two outstanding catches.
Gatting, who plays in the Read Brothers Ltd East Anglian Premier League for Swardeston and is the nephew of ex-England and Middlesex captain Mike Gatting, said afterwards: “It was good to meet the guys and have a good performance.
“We bowled nicely and fielded really well and set the tone early and then to chase 213 with six wickets down was a good effort.
“Fair play to the two openers they had a really good partnership. Obviously we then lost a few wickets in quick succession.
“Cambridgeshire bowled really well, but we got over the line and it was good team performance and it tested us in all aspects of the game.”
Suffolk will be in action again this Sunday when they face a World Sport Exchange XI, drawn from amateur cricketers who are on the books of the sports agency at Woolpit, start 11am.
There will be three changes to the side as Suffolk utilise all of their squad ahead of the first competitive match at the end of this month.
All-rounders Kyran Young and Darren Ironside come into the side along with Bury St Edmunds bowler Max Dias, who made his debut in the final match of last season. Gatting and Sudbury trio Batch, Parker and Sadler drop out.
No spectators are allowed to attend, but the match will again be streamed via the play-cricket.com website.
Suffolk squad for Sunday: Jack Beaumont (capt), Ben Claydon, Alex Oxley, Josh Cantrell, Ben Shepperson, Kyran Young, Jack Potticary (wkt), Darren Ironside, Tom Rash, Max Dias, Matt Wareing, Andy Northcote.
Suffolk v Cambridgeshire Scorecard
