Blacktopp a doubt as Beds host Suffolk

Although Bedfordshire have not won a three-day game for three seasons, they look to have a much stronger squad this year and are confident they can be among the competition’s frontrunners.

As always though, availability is likely to be a problem especially as their fixture list would appear to be both unfair and unbalanced.

Whereas other counties play every other week throughout the season, Bedfordshire have a break of a month before their next game and then must play three weekends in a row in July.

This is because Norfolk traditionally hold an annual cricket festival week which incorporates two championship fixtures and despite protesting to the MCCA management committee, Bedfordshire are again the county to be inconvenienced as is the case every three years.

The Bedfordshire side for this weekend has still to be finalised with the selectors hoping that Dan Blacktopp will be fit to take his place in the top order.

Blacktopp missed the last two Unicorns Trophy matches having suffered a training injury which led to an ankle having to be put in plaster.

Definitely unavailable is wicketkeeper Alex Martin who is playing in a university representative game. His place is likely to go to Greg Hofbauer.

Suffolk will be one of the favourites for the Eastern Division title.

They have added Billy Root to an already strong squad, and England batsman Joe Root’s brother has already scored a century against Bedfordshire this season in the one-day competition.

Their key man though is former Northamptonshire professional Tom Huggins who scored 751 runs at an average of 83.44 and took 36 wickets at a rate of 17.77 in the championship last season.

The match starts at 11am on all three days and admission is free,