WILTSHIRE maintained their hopes of automatic qualification to the quarter-finals of the MCCA Unicorns Knockout Trophy with a thrilling 56-run success over Suffolk.

Although the county cannot top Group Four – Bedfordshire won all four of their matches, including beating Wiltshire – Michael Coles’ side moved into second place following the victory at Warminster Cricket Club.

County skipper Coles felt that his team benefitted by playing carefree cricket after they piled on 363 from their 50 overs.

Ed Young led the charge for Wiltshire as he struck a 103-ball 128, which included 21 fours and one six, while he was ably supported by Jake Linnott as he blasted an 84-ball 101, smashing 10 fours and four sixes along the way.

Coles himself chipped in with a 34-ball 40 before former Essex seamer Mervyn Westfield, who is currently serving a five-year ban from first-class cricket following his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal, returned to the attack for the visitors to mop up the tail with three wickets.

Suffolk made steady progress in their chase but lost wickets at regular intervals and never got up with the run-rate, with Joe King claiming 3-33, while Young and Linnott both claimed a brace apiece as Suffolk were bowled out in the 47th for 307.

“It was a very good day and a fantastic performance,” Coles said. “Ed Young and Jake Linnott both batted superbly. I said last week that we were able to almost able to go out there on Sunday and play carefree cricket and relax. We were able to go out there and put together a positive performance.

“Having a relatively fast, small outfield at Warminster, there is always a danger of being able to chase down a score like we had – it we had been in that position, I’d been pretty confident of being able to do it.

“But thankfully, we were able to keep chipping away at them.”

The county will bring their group games to a close on Sunday when they make the trip to Buckinghamshire with Corsham's Ashur Morrison back in the team after being left out last weekend for the Suffolk win.

The hosts sit one place and one point behind Wiltshire and need to beat Coles’ men to stop them reaching the last eight.

“As I understand it, if we win then we will automatically qualify for the next round and if the game is rained off or abandoned, then the one point we get should also be enough,” Coles said.

“The pressure is off again this weekend, we have to go there and try and get a positive result.”

Wiltshire team (to face Bucks): Michael Coles (Corsham, captain), Tahir Afridi (Henley), Steve Bullen (Corsham, wicketkeeper), Andy Carroll (Westbury), Joe King (Corsham), Jake Lintott (Clevedon), Ashur Morrison (Corsham), Uzi Qureshi (Frocester), Jake Roberts (Potterne), John Sore (Swindon), Ed Young (Potterne). 12th man: David Cope (Burbage & Easton Royal).