COUNTIES CRICKET Round four day two review...
- Details
- Created on Tuesday, 19 August 2025 00:48
- Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 August 2025 00:48
- Published on Tuesday, 19 August 2025 00:48
- Written by PAUL BOLTON Cricket Correspondent
The pair added 256 before they were parted which surpassed the 226 that Gary Loveday and Martin Lickley put on, also against Oxfordshire, in 1991.
Lewis went on to 203, his maiden double century and the eighth highest score in Berkshire’s history with Connell making 122.
Ben Salter weighed in with 74 before Berkshire declared on 476 for seven and an imposing lead of 148.
Oxfordshire reduced the deficit by 100 with Julian Laird missing out on a second half-century on debut by just five runs but they will need to bat for most of the final day to deny Berkshire their first win in their defence of the Western Division title.
Two former Worcestershire batters, Matt Pardoe and Taylor Cornall, made centuries for Herefordshire against Devon at Eastnor.
Pardoe made 126 and Cornall a Championship-best 174 with the left-handed duo sharing a second wicket partnership of 196, a record for any Herefordshire wicket against Devon.
Herefordshire had a handy first innings lead of 79 but Devon ended the day 45 in credit thanks to an unbroken century partnership between James Horler (64 not out) and first innings century-maker Matt Thompson (48 not out).
Dorset pair Joe Eckland and Will Tripcony were again in the runs against Wales NC at Wimborne in Western Division Two.
Eckland and Tripcony both made centuries in the first innings of last week’s defeat by Wiltshire and followed up with a fourth wicket partnership of 171.
Eckland, who is contracted to Hampshire, made it two centuries in three innings with Tripcony falling three short of his own hundred.
But former Northamptonshire leg-spinner Alex Russell took five for 69 which restricted Dorset’s lead to seven and Wales ended the day on 131 for three with captain Cameron Herring (38 not out) and Ollie Rayner (34not out) going well.
Wiltshire fought back well on a fascinating day of fluctuating fortunes against Shropshire at Bridgnorth.
Half-centuries from Tom Fell and Warrick Fynn, playing his first county match in six years, helped Shropshire to avert the threat of the follow-on but, with Tom Vermaak taking four wickets, Dorset still took a useful lead of 79.
Wiltshire then found themselves in trouble against the pace of Cameron Jones and George McCormick as they found themselves three for three at the start of their second innings and 56 for five when Fynn snared Jake Goodwin with a return catch.
Will Naish (73 not out) led the counter-attack with support from Chris Aubrey (41) in a sixth wicket stand of 87 which took Wiltshire to 215 for seven and restored their advantage.
NCCA Cluberly Championship
Second day of three
Eastern Division One
Cleethorpes: Suffolk 368-8 dec (Ollie Burle 95, Freddie Heldreich 68 not out, Jacob Marston 59) & 95-3 (Ollie Burle 53 not out), Lincolnshire 247 (Tom Keast 94, Sam Evans 54, Tom Harper 4-73).
Stafford: Staffordshire 194 (Jack Redman 45, Conner Haddow 4-21) & 203 (James Kettleborough 54, Conner Haddow 6-38), Buckinghamshire 173 (Billy Dodds 55, Tom Moulton 4-29) &.
Western Division One
Eastnor: Devon 362 (Matt Thompson 104, Callum Harvey 101, Roshan Venkataraman 5-105) & 125-1 (James Horler 64 not out, Matt Thompson 48 not out), Herefordshire 441 (Taylor Cornall 174, Matt Pardoe 126, Sam Read 4-87, Callum Harvey 4-145).
Thame: Oxfordshire 328-9 (Julian Laird 85, Luke Hayes 61, George Tait 46, Samm Daniel 4-114) & 100-2 (Julian Laird 45), Berkshire 476-7 dec (Rhys Lewis 203, Jonny Connell 122, Ben Salter 74).
Eastern Division Two
Furness: Northumberland 262 (Jonny Bushnell 66, Jack McCarthy 62, Ross Whitfield 48, Freddie Fallows 4-61) & 106-7, Cumbria 253 (Ben Walkden 75, Matt Sempill 75, Jonny Bushnell 4-69).
Hertford: Bedfordshire 433-6 (Joe Johnson 107, Rohan Mehmi 82, Jake Tarling 80, Tom Cullen 77) & 198-2 (Joe Johnson 98 not out, Jamie Dunk 44), Hertfordshire 368-4 dec (Dominic Chatfield 155 not out, Scott Galloway 128, Finn Kelsey 61).
Western Division Two
Wimborne: Wales NC 339 (Jack Hope-Bell 104, Cian Davies 54, Cameron Herring 45 Connor Smith 5-76) & 131-3, Dorset 346 (Joe Eckland 112, Will Tripcony 90).
Bridgnorth: Wiltshire 388-9 (Ed Young 123 not out, Jake Goodwin 75, Josh Kelly 46, Cameron Jones 4-69) & 215-7 (Will Naish 73 not out), Shropshire 309 (Tom Fell 71, Warrick Fynn 55 not out, Joe Stanley 47, Tom Vermaak 4-89).
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
