COUNTIES CRICKET Championship second day round-up

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 July 2024 11:19

Published on Tuesday, 09 July 2024 05:11

In Western Division One, Berkshire were frustrated by rain which cut short proceedings at Instow after they had overtaken Devon’s 222 and built a lead of 61 when the weather closed in.

Calum Haggett prolonged Devon’s resistance in the morning with a half-century while former Cornwall seamer Tommy Sturgess finished with four for 48 in his first Championship bowl for Berkshire.

Solid batting down the order took Berkshire beyond Devon with Euan Woods (78 not out), Johnny Connell (60) and Charlie Dunnett (51) the most significant contributors. Woods and Dunnett shared a third wicket partnership of 100.

No play was possible at Helston in the match between newly-promoted Cornwall and Oxfordshire.

A half-century from captain Luke Webb led Dorset’s response to Shropshire at St George’s in Western Division Two.

Shropshire reached 327 for eight in their 90 overs with George Hargrave adding only two to his overnight 91 which meant that he missed out on a third century in as many innings against Dorset.

Andre Bradford (43) and Peter Clark (43) chipped in with useful runs with Dorset’s trio of spinners Connor Smith, debutant Louis Prichard and Finn Gordon each taking two wickets.

Gordon than made 46 and shared a second wicket partnership of 91 with Webb (59) before Alex Eckland (39 not out) and Smith (24 not out) added 63 for the sixth wicket before bad light brought an early close.

There were shorter rations at Corsham when rain topped and tailed the day but there was time for Nick Hammond and Henry Cullen to make half-centuries for Herefordshire against Wiltshire.

Only 54 overs were possible in which time Herefordshire added 197 runs to reach 246 for six with Worcestershire batter Cullen finishing unbeaten on 71 on his seasonal debut for Herefordshire and Hammond 55.

They added 89 for the third wicket after Ben Chapman-Lilley had opened with 40.

Aadi Sharman and Alexei Kervezee performed a rescue act for defending champions Buckinghamshire in their Eastern Division One match against Lincolnshire at Sleaford.

Centuries from skipper Tom Keast – a career-best 154 – and Ben Wright gave Lincolnshire a commanding first innings lead of 149 and Buckinghamshire appeared to be heading for defeat when they slumped to three for three inside the first three overs of their second innings against the new ball pair of Matty Mills and Josh Knapton.

But Sharma and Kervezee showed the resilience that made Buckinghamshire champions last season by sharing a fourth wicket stand of 187 which cleared the arrears and helped them to close the second day on 200 for four.

Sharma’s 103 followed his maiden century in last season’s final against Devon and again showed why he is so highly regarded by Northamptonshire where he is on the academy.

The partnership was broken shortly after an interruption for bad light when Sharma became Mills’s third wicket of the innings and seventh of the match.

But former Worcestershire and Netherlands batter Kervezee was still there at the close, unbeaten on 85, and with Buckinghamshire in a much healthier position.

High quality pace bowling from Rory Haydon and Liam Hurt put Staffordshire in control against Bedfordshire at Checkley.

Haydon, a former Warwickshire Academy player, took a competition best six for 22 and former Lancashire and Leicestershire paceman Hurt four for 54.

At one point Bedfordshire were 25 for six and their modest  follow-on target of 55 looked a long way off.

But former Kent, Essex, Hampshire and Northamptonshire all-rounder Matt Coles led the counter-attack against the change bowlers with a quickfire 40.

Coles fell to Hurt’s first ball when he was recalled but Patrick Harrington (26) and acting-captain George Darlow (44 not out) prolonged the resistance before Haydon returned to finish the innings.

Staffordshire extended their first innings lead of 63 to 196 by the close with Matthew Morris and Zen Malik, who is attracting Glamorgan’s interest, making unbeaten half centuries in a second wicket partnership of 101.

Cumbria’s Freddie Fallows pummelled 106 from 64 balls to give his side the advantage in a low-scoring contest with Northumberland at Jesmond where 26 wickets went down in a fast-moving day.

Fallows, a member of the National Counties XI who won the European T10 title last October, batted down the order at eight and came to the crease with his side in trouble at 114 for seven having lost three wickets for one run.

He then clobbered eight sixes and nine fours in his maiden county century and shared an eighth wicket partnership of 119 with Ed Moulton (19 not out) that lifted Cumbria to 252.

Matthew Oswell returned competition-best figures of six for 75 for Northumberland who soon ran into trouble against Cumbria’s seamers.

They were soon nine for three and required resistance from Oswell (24) and captain Jaques du Toit (35) to get them to 120 with Sam Sharp and Ben Walkden sharing eight of the wickets.

Wickets continued to tumble with Cumbria folding to 109 all out in their second innings with only Sharp (27 not out) and Nico Watt (25) topping 20.

Seamer George Darwood took three for 12 in seven overs and Matty Scott two for four in the five overs he bowled.

Northumberland will chase a target of 242 on the final day.

Hertfordshire will need to fight a rearguard action if they are to avoid defeat against Cambridgeshire at Peterborough after a second innings collapse.

Hertfordshire trailed by 57 on first innings but openers Dominic Chatfield and Archie Harrison put them back in credit with a partnership of 61.

They then slumped to 95 for five with paceman Matthew Rees, who plays his club cricket for Castleford in his native Yorkshire, again impressing on debut with two for 13 in 11 overs.

Earlier Henry Wilson, with 66 on his Championship debut, Wayne White (62) and Mohammed Saif’s competition-best 42 had given Cambridgeshire a useful lead despite losing their last six wickets for 57 against former Essex seamer Jack Plom (four for 56) and slow left-armer Ben Waring (3-42).

Durant Cricket National Couties Championship

Second day of three

Eastern Division One

Sleaford: Buckinghamshire 220 (Cameron Parsons 59, Matty Mills 4-57) & 200-4 (Aadi Sharma 103, Alexei Kervezee 85 not out), Lincolnshire 369-8 (Tom Keast 154, Ben Wright 126).

Checkley: Staffordshire 204 (Tom Moulton 50 not out, Sam Jarvis 6-70) & 133-1 (Matthew Morris 55, Zen Malik 51), Bedfordshire 141 (Rory Haydon 6-22, Liam Hurt 4-54).

Western Division One

Helston: Oxfordshire 299 (Hayden Rossouw 86, Luke Hayes 61), Cornwall 61-1. No play Monday – rain.

Instow (North Devon CC): Devon 177-6 (Lawrence Walker 51), Berkshire 283-4 (Euan Woods 78 not out, Johnny Connell 60, Charlie Dunnett 51).

Eastern Division Two

Peterborough: Hertfordshire 201 (Ben Clifford 69) & 95-5, Cambridgeshire 258 (Henry Wilson 66, Wayne White 62, Jack Plom 4-56).

 Jesmond: Cumbria 252 (Freddie Fallows 106, Matthew Oswell 6-75) & 109, Northumberland 120 (Ben Walkden 4-24, Sam Sharp 4-28).

Western Division Two

Oakengates (St George’s CC): Shropshire 327-8 (George Hargrave 93), Dorset  231-5 (Luke Webb 59).

Corsham: Wiltshire 331 (Dylan Church 116, Ed Young 75), Herefordshire 246-6 (Henry Cullen 71 not out, Nick Hammond 55)

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