CRICKET: PHIL Caley has leapfrogged Tony Warrington's haul of 7,623 runs and become Suffolk's second most prolific batsman in Minor Counties Championship cricket.

PHIL Caley has leapfrogged Tony Warrington's haul of 7,623 runs and become Suffolk's second most prolific batsman in Minor Counties Championship cricket.

Caley needed just eight more runs to achieve this feat before play on day one of the Minor Counties Championship match against Northumberland at Ransomes Sports Ground in Ipswich yesterday.

And Suffolk's inspirational skipper did not disappoint as the home side accumulated 266, and then nipped out an early wicket to leave Northumberland on 21 for one in reply.

Caley and Bill Athey shared a fourth wicket partnership of 126 to provide the backbone of the innings. While Caley overhauled Warrington's career total on his way to an entertaining 76, former England batsman Bill Athey made his highest score for Suffolk in the Championship with a patient 87.

The two came together with the score on 58 for three, and batted in harness for the next 159 minutes.

Caley blasted to his fourth successive half-century for the county off 89 deliveries, following on from his 95 against Staffordshire and his 71 and 50 against Cambridgeshire. He plundered 11 boundaries in all.

The 37-year-old made his Suffolk debut in 1982, and is now second only to Simon Clements (1974-98) in the all-time run-scorers in the Championship.

But Caley still has some way to go to threaten Clements' tally of 9,219.

"I'll probably be 55 by the time I get to Clem's total!" joked Caley.

"I knew I was getting close to Tony Warrington's mark. I mentioned it to scorer Andy Broome, and he said that I needed eight more.

"It was an excellent innings from Bill (Athey). He has not had much luck this season. He has been threatening to make a big score.

"I'm happy with our final total of 266. It's more of a bowler-friendly pitch. It was doing a bit all day, and hopefully we can get in among their batsmen in the morning," added Caley.

Andy Brown (29) and Russell Catley (15) put on an opening stand of 44, but it was the efforts of Athey and Caley which swung the game in Suffolk's favour.

Athey, whose previous highest score for Suffolk in the Championship was 24, was eighth out after striking ten fours and a six in his knock of 87, notched off 219 balls. He reached his 50 off 163

deliveries.

Suffolk, from a strong position of 184 for three, suffered a mini-collapse after the fall of Caley's wicket. They lost their last seven wickets for 82, with Paul King last out for a useful 16.

Richard Pineo, bowling with fire, trapped opener Adam Heather leg before, playing no shot, as Northumberland stuttered to the close.

This three-day game, which is sponsored by Hales Waste Control, ATS and Bandvulc Tyres, is part of the Ipswich Building Society Festival of Cricket.