Career best for Reynoldson as Beds hang on

It is never easy to fashion a game reduced to two days and it was a little surprising that Bedfordshire decided to field after winning the toss on Monday.

Despite all the wet weather the wicket was firm and true and the Suffolk batsmen took full advantage with Tom Huggins and Ben France putting on 62 for the first wicket and Huggins and Martyn Cull adding 203 for the second.

Cull was the main aggressor slamming 147 before being bowled by Chris Esh. Huggins fell for 98 but Suffolk had lost only four wickets when they reached 325, the maximum target for batting points.

Instead of declaring and inviting Bedfordshire to make a game of it, the Suffolk captain decided to bat on and try to win by an innings.

In doing so though, he presented Bedfordshire with three more bowling points as wickets fell in a clatter to spinners Andy Reynoldson and Chris Esh.

Reynoldson finished with career best figures of 6-95 from 21.4 overs and Esh took 3-103 as Suffolk were all out for 390.

It looked as though Suffolk’s tactics might pay off as the Bedfordshire batsmen contrived to find ways of getting themselves out.

Martin Weightman (37), Oliver Clayson (30) and Reynoldson (37) all failed to make the most of good starts and it was left to Dan Bendon (39) and George Arblaster (17) to see Bedfordshire to one batting point.

Their final total of 208 was 33 runs short of the follow-on target though, and Bedfordshire found themselves batting again just after lunch on the third day as they immediately lost a wicket when Arblaster, promoted to open, was dismissed for a duck.

Stubbings and Weightman batted well and all seemed to be going smoothly. But then Weightman went for for 36 and Stubbings was out to the last ball before tea for 27.

George Thurstance (38) and Clayson (47) then put together a partnership, but just as the game was entering the last hour and Suffolk must have been on the verge of shaking hands for a draw, both got out with the score on 152.

This put fresh vigour into the home side but Reynoldson and Oliver Swan assured there were no more alarms for Bedfordshire who finished with nine points to Suffolk’s12.

Bedfordshire next play Northumberland at Dunstable on Sunday, July 8.

Scores: Suffolk 390. Bedfordshire 208 and 183-5.