Maiden century for Alex Oxley for Suffolk leads to call-up as 12th man for Warwickshire in Specsavers County Championship clash in Kent

Suffolk batsman Alex Oxley has been called-up as 12th man for Warwickshire’s Specsavers County Championship match versus Kent at Canterbury, starting on Sunday, writes Nick Garnham.

The news comes on the back of 18-year-old Oxley scoring his maiden century for Suffolk in their opening Unicorns Championship three-day fixture of the season against Staffordshire at Copdock.

The match was abandoned as a draw after heavy rain in the early hours of Tuesday got under the covers and puddles of water formed on the bottom end of the wicket.

Suffolk had been due to resume their second innings on 35 for 1 – an overall lead of 105 – after restricting the visitors to 323 for 8 in their first innings.

Bury St Edmunds all-rounder Josh Cantrell took three wickets and Mildenhall skipper Tom Rash one.

That was in response to Suffolk’s 393 for 8 on day one, built around opener Oxley’s 124 compiled from 189 deliveries and containing 15 four and three sixes.

Mildenhall’s Ben Shepperson made 91 off just 61 balls with ten fours and three sixes.

However, Culford School student Oxley is not the youngest player to reach three figures for Suffolk in a Minor Counties match.

The record is held by James Forrest, who scored 164 on debut versus Lincolnshire at Denes Oval in Lowestoft on May 29th 1939, aged 17 years and 166 days.

*Reaction from Alex Oxley in Friday's print edition