COUNTIES CRICKET Third round, day two round-up

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Created on Tuesday, 30 July 2024 06:42

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 July 2024 06:42

Published on Tuesday, 30 July 2024 06:42

Written by PAUL BOLTON Cricket Correspondent

Northumberland and Shropshire opened their accounts in this season’s Durant Cricket National Counties Championship with respective ten wickets victories over Norfolk and Wiltshire.

Northumberland were the first winners in the third round of Championship matches, wrapping up victory at Jesmond in Eastern Division Two shortly after lunch on the second day.

Their charge for victory was delayed by Norfolk’s Nottinghamshire batter Sam King, whose 84 saved Norfolk from an innings defeat, but only just.

Slow left-armer Oli McGee unpicked Norfolk’s second innings to finish with six for 56 which left Northumberland requiring just 23 for victory, a target they reached with no alarms in five overs.

Shropshire’s win at the South Wilts club at Salisbury in Western Division Two came in a hurry at the end of the day after Wiltshire were dismissed for 165 in their second innings.

Off-spinner Joe Stanley, who took 11 wickets in the match when Shropshire were beaten by Wiltshire at Whitchurch last season, followed up with six for 46 with only home captain Ed Young (75) threatening to take the match into a third day.

Former Worcestershire batter Olly Westbury made a career-best 161 in Shropshire’s first innings and was there at the end of the match too as he and Peter Clark knocked off the 58 needed for victory in six overs.

Westbury shared a second wicket partnership of 151 with Tom Fell (78) and 56 for the fifth wicket with Andre Bradford before he fell to a return catch off the bowling of off-spinner Joe King.

Centuries from Lawrence Walker and Matt Thompson turned Devon’s Western Division One match against Cornwall at Truro completely.

From facing a second consecutive heavy defeat, Devon ended the day on course for victory after Walker and Thompson shared a fifth wicket partnership of 174.

Walker’s century was his first in only his second Championship match and Thompson’s his sixth in the competition but first for two years.

Devon were eventually dismissed for 355 which left Cornwall to chase 308 in the fourth innings. They lost Max Tryfonos for a second ball duck in the first over of their reply.

Cornwall seamer Will MacVicar finished with four wickets to give him a career-best match return of 12 for 131.

An intriguing final day is in prospect at Nantwich where Cheshire lead Berkshire by 194 with three second innings wickets remaining.

Berkshire did well to keep their first innings arrears to 33 thanks to half-centuries from Rhodri Lewis (63) and Dan O’Driscoll (59) and a late fusillade of sixes from Andy Rishton (46).

There were four wickets for Cheshire slow left-armer Xander Selby and there was also turn for Berkshire off-spinner Adam Searle who opened the bowling in Cheshire’s second innings and took four for 67 from 33 accurate overs.

Half-centuries from Tom Hafil – his first - and Henry Dobson led Cheshire’s resistance.

Lincolnshire scented victory against Staffordshire in Eastern Division One at Cleethorpes where a maiden century from former England Under-19 batter Jordan Cook helped them to enjoy first innings parity.

Staffordshire then collapsed to 14 for three and again lost three more wickets for 14 runs to finish the day precariously placed at 106 for seven – a lead of 103 – with former Worcestershire all-rounder Reeve Evitts holding things together with 49 not out.

Cook’s 166 not out from 176 balls included 19 fours and six sixes which, with support from Tom Keast (77) and Ben Wright (58) took Lincolnshire to 389 for eight in their 90 overs.

Half-centuries from Jack Beaumont, Alex Oxley and Josh Cantrell helped Suffolk to restrict Bedfordshire’s first innings lead to 55 at Bury St Edmunds.

Tom Harper followed up his seven wickets in Bedfordshire’s first innings with 43 – another career-best – but four wickets from slow left-armer George Darlow kept Suffolk under 300.

Beaumont then took three wickets with his left-arm spin but Jake Tarling – a century-maker in last week’s Showcase match against Kent – was unbeaten on 30 as Bedfordshire increased their lead to 142.

Former Yorkshire batter Will Fraine made 83 in his first Championship innings for Cumbria but it was Hertfordshire who ended the day in control of their Eastern Division Two match at Netherfield.

Despite Fraine’s contribution and 60 from Ben Davidson, Cumbria were dismissed for 257 which gave Hertfordshire a significant first innings lead of 98.

Lef-arm seamer Andrew Neal and slow left-armer Ben Waring shared eight wickets between them before Hertfordshire increased their lead to 285 with three wickets remaining by the close.

Former Derbyshire all-rounder Archie Harrison, who made a century against Sussex at Arundel in a Showcase match last week, will resume on 76 not out, his competition best.

Wales NC batter Callum Nicholls made his maiden century against Dorset at Ebbw Vale in Western Division Two.

Nicholls shared a fifth wicket partnership of 111 with his captain Cameron Herring, whose 111 was the fourth Championship century of his career.

Opener Kurtis Marsh was the only other batter to reach 30 as Wales reached 376 for eight, a lead of two.

Dorset were 139 ahead with seven wickets intact by the close with skipper Luke Webb making a half-century and Finn Gordon following up his first innings century with 41.

Durant Cricket National Counties Championship

Second day of three

Eastern Division One

Cleethorpes: Staffordshire 386-7 (Michael Hill 166 not out, Sam Atkinson 86, Callum Hawkins 60) & 106-7, Lincolnshire 389-8 (Jordan Cook 166 not out, Tom Keast 77, Ben Wright 58).

Bury St Edmunds: Bedfordshire 353 (Sam Kelsall 116, Oli Soames 104, Tom Harper 7-55) & 87-3, Suffolk 298 (Jack Beaumont 61, Alex Oxley 60, Josh Cantrell 55, George Darlow 4-39).

Western Division One

Nantwich: Cheshire 287 (Sam Perry 102, Luke Beaven 5-73) & 161-7 (Tom Hafil 59, Henry Dobson 50, Adam Searle 4-67), Berkshire 254 (Rhodri Lewis 63, Dan O’Driscoll 59, Xander Selby 4-90).

Truro: Devon 120 (Will MacVicar 8-46) & 355 (Lawrence Walker 116, Matt Thompson 115, Will MacVicar 4-85, Ellis Whiteford 4-88), Cornwall 171 (Sam Read 4-38, Kaz Szymanski 4-59) & 0-1.

Eastern Division Two

Netherfield: Hertfordshire 355 (Dominic Chatfield 77, Scott Galloway 65, Ben Clifford 58, Freddie Fallows 4-110) & 187-6 (Archie Harrison 76 not out, Matt Sempill 4-39), Cumbria 257 (Will Fraine 83, Ben Davidson 60, Andrew Neal 5-71, Ben Waring 4-80).

Jesmond: Norfolk 89 (Matt Oswell 6-23) & 219 (Sam King 84, Oli McGee 6-56, Northumberland 283 (Seb Allison 72, Ali Appleby 68, Nikhil Gorantla 68, Andy Hanby 4-93) & 29-0. Northumberland (23pts) beat Norfolk (4pts) by ten wickets.

Western Division Two

Ebbw Vale: Dorset 374-9 (Finn Gordon 123, Alex Eckland 63) & 141-3 (Luke Webb 54), Wales NC 376-8 (Cameron Herring 111, Callum Nicholls 106).

South Wilts CC: Wiltshire 240 (Dylan Church 61, Charlie Home 7-37) & 165 (Ed Young 75, Joe Stanley 6-46), Shropshire 348-5 (Olly Westbury 161, Tom Fell 78, Andre Bradford 61) & 58-0. Shropshire (24pts) beat Wiltshire (4pts) by ten wickets

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