Kyle Coetzer starred with the bat, and Jack Beaumont with the ball, as Suffolk beat Bedfordshire in a rain-affected Unicorns Knock-Out Trophy Group Two match, staged at Dunstable Town Cricket Club on Sunday.

Suffolk had reached a total of 126 for three, off 24 overs, before the rain arrived and the teams were forced off the pitch.

Coetzer, making his Suffolk debut, top-scored with an unbeaten 64, while opening the batting with county stalwart Tom Huggins.

Bedfordshire had won the toss and inserted Suffolk into bat, but Huggins set the tone with four boundaries in his knock of 21, accrued off 20 deliveries, before he was trapped leg before by Griggs with the score on 47.

Nathan Poole contributed 13, while Bury St Edmunds skipper Michael Comber was dismissed for just six, as the visitors moved on to 99 for three.

Wicketkeeper Simon Guy (14 not out) offered some quick support to Coetzer, who struck a six and eight boundaries in his cameo innings, before play was halted.

It was a good start to his stay with Suffolk – the 31-year-old, who plays for Northamptonshire, had represented Scotland in the recent World Cup.

Bedfordshire, set a revised target of 157 in 20 overs in reply, lost early wickets and so were always struggling.

Justin Bishop, who had taken seven wickets for Bury St Edmunds the previous weekend, in their defeat to Norwich, was bang in form and he quickly removed both openers, Thurston (1) and Thomas (2), in between Comber trapping Thurstance leg before, to leave Bedfordshire tottering on 18 for three.

Skipper Reynoldson provided some stiff resistance, but wickets continued to fall all around him, with spinner Beaumont the chief benefactor.

Beaumont cut through the hosts’ middle order, finishing with figures of three for 21 off his four overs. He also was involved in the dismissals of Hofbeauer and Wharton, catching the former off Huggins in the deep, and running out the latter.

Bedfordshire ended on 121 for nine, with Reynoldson 62 not out from 52 balls.

This was Suffolk’s second match of the season – their KO Trophy opener against Norfolk had been washed out with a ball bowled.