National Counties Trophy review - Browne brilliance fires Suffolk past Norfolk

Essex opening batter Nick Browne marked his first appearance for Suffolk in nine years with an unbeaten 90 which took them to a nine wickets win over Norfolk in their opening National Counties Trophy match at Mildenhall. Browne also made a half century on his only previous appearance for Suffolk, also against Norfolk, at Bury St Edmunds in May 2013 but on that occasion it came in a losing cause.

Ad/> This time his 110-ball innings helped Suffolk chase down a target of 230 in a match reduced by rain to 46 overs a side. CricketNew-look Berkshire set for Trophy defence26/05/2022 AT 14:55 Jack Beaumont dominated an opening stand of 83 with Browne with a brisk half century but Browne and Ben Claydon (80 not out) then saw Suffolk home with a perfectly-paced unbroken second wicket stand of 149.

Norfolk's total of 229 for six was built around a fourth wicket partnership of 107 between Tom New (70) and Nottinghamshire all-rounder Sammy King (47) on his National Counties debut. Oxfordshire, who won the National Counties T20 last week, opened their trophy account with a five wickets win over Herefordshire in a rain-reduced 35 overs contest at Eastnor.

Ollie Currill, the hero of Oxfordshire's T20 semi-final victory over Cheshire, was again in the wickets, this time taking four for 23 which had Herefordshire in disarray at 63 for eight. They recovered to 146 all out thanks to 60 from Zain ul-Hassan and 44 not out from Barney Morgan, the ninth wicket pair adding 60.