Cook and Burford make record stand for Lincolnshire

Ollie Burford's 128 was his highest Minor Counties Championship score

Paul Cook and Ollie Burford put on a record 223 for the sixth wicket on day one of Lincolnshire's Minor Counties Championship game against Suffolk.

They had been reduced to 111-5 by the visitors at Sleaford, but skipper Cook (113) and Burford (128) helped them to a huge first innings total of 428.

Cook told BBC Lincolnshire: "We're two attacking players and it all just seemed to come off today."

Suffolk were 94-2 in reply when bad light ended the day's play.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Lincolnshire lost opener Bill Kirby for a duck and were 59-3 after Dan Birch was given lbw for 41 and Karanjit Bansal was bowled first ball.

Mat Dowman (23) and Pete Morgan (21) were also dismissed before lunch, bringing the stand of Cook and Burford together.

Cook, who took the partnership past 100 and 200 runs with two sixes, was first to reach his century with Burford making his in the next over.

Their partnership of 223 beat their own previous record for Lincolnshire's highest sixth-wicket stand of 194, which they set against Cumberland in 2006.

Cook was finally caught by Hassan Adnan to become the second of James Finch's three wickets and three runs later Burford followed suit having made his highest minor counties score, when Martyn Cull took the catch off the bowling of Simon Rees.

Tail-enders Brett Houston (43) and Alex Osmond (26 not out) helped Lincolnshire finish their innings with a flourish, before Suffolk's Tom Huggins was dismissed for a duck and fellow opener Ben France was out for 40.