Barney Morton, 17, named as part of squad for Suffolk for final NCCA Championship match against Buckinghamshire

Suffolk have named a 13-strong squad for their final NCCA Championship match of the season versus Buckinghamshire at Copdock & Old Ipswichian CC.

The squad includes 17-year-old Barney Morton, son of former Suffolk all-rounder Ian Morton, who could join 16-year-old Ollie Burle in the side for the three-day match starting on Sunday at 11am.

Suffolk secured their Division One status ahead of their fixture against Bucks on Sunday, following their recent victory over Norfolk.

Morton, who like Burle is a student at Ipswich School, has been added to the squad as fitness concerns remain over Ben Claydon, who has missed the last two matches with an ankle injury, and Alex Oxley, who was unwell during the win at Norfolk earlier this week.

Oxley, who was absent on the third and final day and therefore did not bat in Suffolk’s second innings, will be hoping to recover and play on his home ground.

However, club-mate Raj Singh, who took five wickets on debut in the 13-run victory over Norfolk at Horsford CC, has an issue with his right quadricep and will not feature, meaning a recall for Luke Froggatt.

Adam Mansfield, who was Suffolk’s white-ball coach last year and returned to captain the side this season, will take over in the absence of head coach Andy Northcote.

He said: “We were really impressed with how Raj bowled, so it’s a real shame he’s missing out.

“Luke Froggatt is back in the squad for the first time this season. He performed well last season and with Raj being injured we needed to bring in another seamer.

“Luke is an exciting young seamer and has been playing for our 2nd XI this season so only right we reward guys who are committed and have been involved with the squad.

“As for Barney Morton he has played for Suffolk U18s and also been involved in our 2nd XI this season and has the potential to be a very good cricketer.

“I have been impressed with his attitude and willingness to learn. It will be good to get him involved and hopefully he can continue his development by being around the 1st XI.”

Although Suffolk won a tight match at Manor Park to secure their Eastern Division One status for next season, Mansfield is looking for improvement in Suffolk’s performance.

“Obviously we’re always looking to improve and the batting is an area we spoke about after the Norfolk game. It was a tough pitch to bat on and their guys bowled really well, so it was tough.

“We spoke about making it count when we get the chance, big first-innings runs are crucial, especially with the pitches becoming harder to bat on as the game goes by.

“I fully believe that we are picking the best batters in the county and that some big scores are just around the corner for a lot of guys,” he said.

Visitors Buckinghamshire, who promoted at the end of last season, need just five points to win the title at the expense of Staffordshire, who sit top but have finished their fixtures.

Mansfield added: “As a county we look to win every game we play in and this will be no different. Bucks haven’t won the division yet so they'll be right up for it. It should be a great game and hopefully we’ll have a good crowd at Copdock supporting us.”

Suffolk squad: Jack Beaumont (capt), Ollie Burle, Alex Oxley, George Rhodes, Ben Claydon, Ben Parker, Josh Cantrell, Jacob Marston (wkt), Tom Harper, Luke Froggatt, Matt Wareing, Dan Shanks, Barney Morton.