COUNTIES CRICKET Champions win, Wiltshire top group

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Last Updated on Monday, 03 June 2024 05:39

Published on Monday, 03 June 2024 05:18

Defending champions Berkshire made it two wins from two with a 25 runs success against Cornwall at St Austell.

Johnny Connell continued his excellent start to the season by making 79 from 100 balls which, with useful runs from Charlie Dunnett (49), Archie Carter (30) and Rhys Lewis, took Berkshire to 244 all out.

Graham Wagg, the former Warwickshire, Derbyshire and Glamorgan all-rounder, took three for 44 as Cornwall’s stand-in professional, his first National Counties appearance since 2022 when he was captain of Shropshire.

The match looked like being over very quickly when Cornwall slipped to 32 for five with Tommy Sturgess, who left them for Berkshire during the winter, enjoying his return to the Duchy by taking three for 28.

But Cornwall captain Paul Smith (68) and Jake Rowe (51) made Berkshire work hard for their victory with Ben Ellis weighing in with 34 not out at the end.

It was more straightforward in the other Group Three match at Sidmouth where Devon crushed Oxfordshire by 160 runs.

Half centuries from Ben Privett (69) and Charlie Sharland (63) took Devon to 277 for nine – the biggest total of the day -  with leg-spinner Henry Welch (four for 52) the pick of Oxfordshire’s attack.

Spin featured heavily in Oxfordshire’s decline to 117 all out in 31.2 overs with slow left-armer Max Shepherd taking four for 42 and leg-spinner Will Christophers three for 44.

Luke Maslen (34) and Prav Chahal (24) were the only batters to reach 20 for Oxfordshire who slipped to their third heaviest defeat by runs margin in the competition.

Dorset’s Jake Gordon made the day’s only century as Hertfordshire paced their chase to perfection to win by six wickets at Welwyn Garden City.

Gordon converted his maiden half-century in the competition to three figures with eight sixes and five fours in his 159-ball 130.

Gordon shared an opening partnership of 120 with Luke Webb (53) which laid the foundations for Dorset’s 267 for six.

Hertfordshire countered with a match-winning unbroken fifth wicket stand of 102 between Dominic Chatfield and Andrew Neal, who both finished on 80 not out which saw them home with 25 balls to spare.

Wiltshire made it two wins from two to go top of Group Four with a three wickets victory over Wales NC at Pontarddulais.

Wales captain Cameron Herring held his side together with 92 from 117s balls with his sixth wicket stand of 86 with Milo Ayres (42) getting them to 184.

Ben Draper (60) and Archie Fairfax-Ross (45 not out) put Wiltshire on course for victory with a fifth wicket partnership of 89 before they stumbled with victory in sight and lost three wickets for 15.

Draper was bowled by seamer Tim Moses (three for 41) and Harry Broderick and Will Naish went in quick succession to Adam Sylvester but Wiltshire got home with 28 balls to spare.
 
National Counties Trophy

Group One

Luton: Northumberland 215 (Harry Crawshaw 84), Bedfordshire 218-7 (George Thurstance 56 not out). Bedfordshire won by three wickets.

Fenner’s: Cumbria 59 (Wayne White 4-11), Cambridgeshire 61-9 (Ed Moulton 6-20). Cambridgeshire won by one wicket

Group Two

Shifnal: Suffolk 264-6 (Darren Ironside 54 George Rhodes 52), Shropshire 224 (Andre Bradford 71). Suffolk won by 40 runs

Smethwick: Staffordshire 157, Norfolk 158-5 (Alfie Cooper 59). Norfolk won by five wickets.

Group Three

St Austell: Berkshire 244 (Johnny Connell 79), Cornwall 219 (Paul Smith 68, Jake Rowe 51). Berkshire won by 25 runs.

Sidmouth: Devon 277-9 (Ben Privett 69, Charlie Sharland 63, Henry Welch 4-52), Oxfordshire 117 (Max Shepherd 4-42). Devon won by 160 runs.

Group Four

Welwyn Garden City: Dorset 267-6 (Jacob Gordon 130, Luke Webb 53), Hertfordshire 273-4 (Dominic Chatfield 80 not out, Andrew Neal 80 not out). Hertfordshire won by six wickets.

Pontarddulais: Wales NC 184 (Cameron Herring 92), Wiltshire 185-7 (Ben Draper 60). Wiltshire won by three wickets.

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