COUNTIES CRICKET Final round day one round-up
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- Last Updated on Sunday, 18 August 2024 20:23
- Published on Sunday, 18 August 2024 20:23
Dearden’s Cheshire career has been split by a six-year stint with Leicestershire which meant that he was playing only his sixth match in the competition.
Cheshire were wobbling at 115 for five – all the wickets taken by Will MacVicar - but Dearden and Dan Newton then added 163 for sixth wicket to take them to 396.
Dearden’s 188 was 102 more than his previous best in the competition and his 167-ball innings included seven sixes.
Newton played a valuable supporting role and made his maiden Championship half century in just his second match in the competition.
Cheshire collected a bowling point at the end of the day as Cornwall, who began the day with a ten points advantage over their hosts, reached 55 for three .
Left-arm seamer Michael Finan, playing his first match for Cheshire in two years following stints in first-class cricket with Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, soon removed Karl Leathley before Henry Dobson accounted for Billy Taylor and Jake Rowe with successive balls an over apart.
Max Tryfonos and debutant Connor Cooke (St Austell) saw Cornwall through to the close on 55 for three.
Dearden’s innings increased in value for Cheshire as Devon, who were just two points below them at the start of play, also earned maximum batting points against Oxfordshire at Banbury.
Former Scotland Under-19s opener Sam Elstone’s 156 – his maiden century – and half-centuries from opener Ben Privett and Ben Beaumont took Devon to 402 for eight.
Privett then struck with the ball at the end of the day, having Hayden Rossouw caught behind, as Oxfordshire closed on 53 for two.
Oxfordshire’s three bowling points should be enough to safeguard them from relegation provided they do not incur an over-rate penalty over the last two days of the match.
Herefordshire improved their prospects of a swift return to Western Division One after they dominated Shropshire, the Division Two leaders, at Eastnor.
Shropshire were dismissed for 178 after they were put in which owed much to 42 from opener George Hargrave and 60 from Simon Gregory in his first county appearance in three years.
Hargrave and Peter Clark added 45 for the first wicket but Shropshire then collapsed to 74 for seven before Gregory and Joe Stanley (24) shored up the innings with an eighth wicket stand of 55.
Captain Matt Pardoe (45) and Ben Chapman-Lilley (51) responded with an opening partnership of 97 and Worcestershire’s Henry Cullen added a half-century to take Herefordshire to 215 for five and a lead of 37.
Wales NC’s hopes of closing the gap on the top two receded after they were dismissed for 161 by Wiltshire at Abergavenny.
Three batters reached 30 but no-one topped Milo Ayres’s 38 in an inadequate Wales first innings with seamer Chris Aubrey and off-spinner Joe King sharing six wickets.
Wiltshire ended the day with a lead of 71 with three first innings wickets remaining as Josh Kelly (61), Jake Goodwin (41), Ed Young (30) and Will Naish (35 not out) contributed through the order.
Northamptonshire leg-spinner Alex Russell took three for 46 to slightly check Wiltshire’s progress.
Durant Cricket National Counties Championship
First day of three
Eastern Division One
High Wycombe: Staffordshire 275-8 dec (Reeve Evitts 93, Callum Hawkins 65 not out, Conner Haddow 5-92), Buckinghamshire 68-2.
Copdock: Lincolnshire 326-9 dec (Ben Wright 126, Joe Pocklington 55, Jack Beaumont 4-68), Suffolk 94-0 (Darren Ironside 59 not out).
Western Division One
Chester Boughton Hall: Cheshire 396 (Harry Dearden 188, Dan Newton 57, Will MacVicar 5-72), Cornwall 55-3.
Banbury: Devon 402-8 (Sam Elstone 156, Ben Privett 75, Ben Beaumont 73), Oxfordshire 53-2.
Eastern Division Two
Hertford: Northumberland 202 (John Oswell 61, Harry Crawshaw 51), Hertfordshire 221-4 (Dominic Chatfield 103 not out, Andrew Neal 67 not out).
Horsford: Cambridgeshire 194 (Ben Claydon 54, Brett Stolworthy 5-71), Norfolk 161-3 (Sam Arthurton 99 not out).
Western Division Two
Eastnor: Shropshire 178 (Simon Gregory 60), Herefordshire 215-5 (Ben Chapman-Lilley 51, Henry Cullen 51).
Abergavenny: Wales NC 161, Wiltshire 232-7 (Josh Kelly 61)
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