The document, a photocopy of a match report, belongs to Richard English, who is researching the history of the club for the bicentenary, some 30 years ago. The report appeared in a newsletter of the time, possibly in the Ipswich Journal.

Richard, a player for more than 50 seasons at Friars Street, was given the report by Bob Durham, scorer for the Suffolk team during the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

"Together with that he gave me a report of a match between Hadleigh and Stoke, which is now Tendring Park, but that was 100 years later," he said.

"They've been in my possession for 30 years, if not a shade longer. I've kept them, and looked at them, but didn't realise the relevance until we were approaching what we are going to do over the next couple of years. I think Bob copied them at the Records Office in Ipswich."

The document makes fascinating reading. Ipswich won the first match between the teams on August 20, "by 58 notches". No scoreboards then, the tally was kept on a stick.

In the second innings "one of the Hadleigh players got a violent blow by the ball just above his ankle, which so disabled him that he resigned his bat and was afterwards carried off the field.

"A great number of people were present, and seemed very much to enjoy the diversion," the report concludes.

The return game, on Friday, August 29 saw Hadleigh scored 91 and 110. Ipswich scored 60 and 64 "for eight wickets to go down. On account of the (wetness?) of the weather, the match could not be finished but is left to be settled by two arbitrators.

"It was said the gentlemen of Ipswich made a very splendid appearance on the road to Hadleigh, having no less than 19 horses chaises, headed by a coach and four with colours flying and music playing."

Richard said: "I wonder how long it took them to get here? And did the Hadleigh team try to match their colourful appearance?

"You would like to think they had a good game of cricket, and a good drink at the White Hart afterwards, where the horses would have been since the morning."

As well as compiling information for the bicentenary, he is also one of the main organisers of a players' reunion, which takes place at Friars Street on August 10, the club's president's day.

"I am in contact with people I haven't spoken to for 30 or 35 years. They all seem to be very enthusiastic. There will be a game of former players against a Hadleigh team. We thought it would be a special way to mark president's day.

"It will be a social event which, I hope, will broaden the base of the club, and that some of our former players will rejoin."

Richard was born in Norfolk, but the family moved to the Hadleigh area in 1947. A pupil at Sudbury Grammar School, he made his Hadleigh debut in 1955 at 13, and his debut for the full Suffolk side at 17.

A former Hadleigh captain, he also captained the university team at Loughborough, and the England Universities.