Norfolk skipper Paul Bradshaw fears he will miss this year's Manor Park festival. Bradshaw, who has been struggling for much of the season with a hamstring injury, is definitely ruled out of the Minor Counties Championship match against Lincolnshire at Cleethorpes, starting on Sunday.

Norfolk skipper Paul Bradshaw fears he will miss this year's Manor Park festival. Bradshaw, who has been struggling for much of the season with a hamstring injury, is definitely ruled out of the Minor Counties Championship match against Lincolnshire at Cleethorpes, starting on Sunday. And the 28-year-old opening bowler admits he has little chance of being fit for the annual festival. The first of three three-day matches, against Staffs, starts on Sunday, July 23. “I had a scan last week and I have ruptured the joint between the muscle and the tendon on my left hamstring and there is a gap of about four centimetres,” said Bradshaw. “The specialist's opinion is that an operation is not a necessity and I am seeing the physiotherapist Tim Sheppard to work out a rehabilitation programme, but the festival will probably come a little too soon.”

Bradshaw last played for Norfolk on May 14, since when he has missed two one-day matches, against Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire, and the opening Eastern Division championship match against Suffolk at Mildenhall, which was a rain-affected draw.

Opening batsman Carl Rogers, appointed vice-captain in May, will lead the side again on Sunday, but Bradshaw will still travel to the game. He has attempted to carry on playing for his club, Vauxhall Mallards, as captain and batsman, and made 17 batting at number eight in his side's eight-wicket defeat by Norwich in the East Anglian Premier League at Brundall on Saturday.

But he said: “It's not something I want to do again if I can help it. We were short on the day, and it's not too bad jogging from slip at one end to the other, but running up and down and stretching when I was batting was pretty painful.

“I suppose I've been relatively lucky over the years with injuries. I have every faith in the other guys, but it's frustrating to be stuck on the sidelines watching the game. I'll be going to the game and taking on the coach's role. I'm just hoping my rehabilitation will go well.”

After three defeats and a washout ended Norfolk's hopes of retaining the MCCA Knockout Trophy, they will be hoping for better results in the three-day competition, with five matches still to play.

The Lincolnshire game will be followed by the festival matches against Staffordshire (July 23-25), Cambridgeshire (July 30-August 1) and Hertfordshire (August 6-8), with Norfolk's programme completed by a trip to Dunstable to face Bedfordshire (August 20-22).

Norfolk: Carl Amos, Carl Rogers (capt), James Spelman, Trevor Ward, Chris Borrett, Richard Moores, Chris Brown, Luke Newton (wicketkeeper), Michael Eccles, Ian Slegg, Martin Addison.