CRICKET: SUFFOLK cricket is set to lose second XI manager Adam King. He is leaving Woodbridge School to take up a position at Radley College, Oxford as head groundsman.

SUFFOLK cricket is set to lose second XI manager Adam King. He is leaving Woodbridge School to take up a position at Radley College, Oxford as head groundsman.

The former Suffolk batsman, who played his last Minor Counties game last season, said: "I start at Radley on August 20 and will be moving away from Suffolk."

Suffolk's director of cricket, Kevin Brooks, has arranged for Suffolk allrounder Kevin Shaw, who is currently out of action following a knee operation, to take charge of the two second XI games scheduled for next month.

Suffolk regular Chris Seal is also moving away from Woodbridge School where he was in charge of cricket, working closely with head groundsman King.

He takes up a new teaching job – director of sport – at Trent College, Long Eaton in January. Suffolk player Ian Graham lives in Nottingham and Seal might well continue his links with the Suffolk Minor Counties side.

"I have not made my mind up yet about next season," said Seal. "I will see how things go during the winter."

Meanwhile, King was disappointed to read comments about his former club Stowmarket in this column a couple of weeks ago. Club stalwart Mick Crane blamed poor decisions made by Stowmarket officials for the club's fall from the higher echelon of Suffolk cricket to their current position in the lower reaches of Division Three of the Hargreaves Two Counties Championship.

King today hit back, saying: "Along with a number of current and former Stowmarket players and officials, I am disappointed with Mick's comments.

"The people he criticised are the ones who helped lift the club to the top of Suffolk cricket in the first place. People have moved away for various reasons.

"Mick was also on the committee at the time. He was in charge of youth and coaching and one of the main reasons Stowmarket have struggled over the last four years or so is that there were no young players coming through to replace those getting too old."