COUNTIES CRICKET First day round-up
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- Created on Sunday, 12 July 2026 19:57
- Last Updated on Monday, 13 July 2026 10:24
- Published on Sunday, 12 July 2026 19:57
- Written by PAUL BOLTON Cricket Correspondent
Hayes was left stranded on 99 not out when last man Oliver Armstrong was run out, unable to make his ground as the pair tried to scramble the single that would have taken his partner to three figures for the first time.
But Hayes’s resistance and a half-century from Freddie Smith helped Oxfordshire to recover from 132 for six to 279 all out on a dry pitch which is expected to turn as the match progresses.
The value of those runs increased as Armstrong then took three wickets to help reduce Berkshire to 119 for six at the close with Toby Greatwood holding things together with 27 not out.
Last season’s Western Division champions Devon had the better of an attritional first day against Herefordshire at Sidmouth.
Seamer James Matravers took three wickets to send Herefordshire from 24 without loss to 28 for four before captain Luke Tulacz shored up the innings with 82 with support from James Rudge (35) and debutant Freddie Ammonds (32).
Callum Harvey and Matthew also took three wickets before Devon responded with 88 for two with Seb Linnitt (40 not out) and Matt Thompson sharing an unbroken third wicket partnership of 75.
Dorset captain Luke Webb made a career-best 172 against Wales NC at Ebbw Vale in Western Division Two.
Webb’s second Championship century led Dorset to 396 for eight and he featured in a sixth wicket partnership of 155 with Ed Ellis, who made 82 on his seasonal debut.
That followed a third wicket stand of 141 between Webb and Hampshire batter Felix Organ whose 70 was his highest score for Dorset in any format.
Former Surrey and England Under-19s seamer Luke Griffiths took five wickets on his debut for Wales who ended the day in trouble on 38 for three.
Former Glamorgan and Leicestershire pace bowler Roman Walker came to Shropshire’s rescue with the bat against Cornwall at Truro.
Walker made a rapid 61 which, with 43 from captain Charlie Home in his first innings of the season, boosted Shropshire to 188 all out.
Elliot Hooper, the former Kent and Sussex slow left-armer took five for 45 on his Championship debut and seamer Ben Ellis produced a miserly opening spell of 15-5-19-2 as Shropshire struggled to 91 for six before Walker joined Home.
Cornwall’s batters also struggled for runs and slipped from 80 for one to 86 for four with a three wicket burst from seamer Ben Roberts, including Alex Blake and Billy Taylor in successive balls. Cornwall closed on 119 for five with Will MacVicar unbeaten on 37.
Defending champions Buckinghamshire fought back hard against Staffordshire at Chesham.
Buckinghamshire were dismissed for 211 but that represented a significant recovery after Staffordshire’s new ball pair of Liam Hurt and Sam Keeling-Wright had reduced them to 36 for four at one stage.
NCCA CLUBERLY CHAMPIONSHIP
First day of four
Eastern Division One
Chesham: Buckinghamshire 211 (Bertie Foreman 51), Staffordshire 95-5.
Bury St Edmunds: Suffolk 418-9 (Feroze Khushi 145, Jack Beaumont 78, Ollie Burle 74, Freddie Heldreich 50), Northumberland 75-1.
Western Division One
Falkland CC: Oxfordshire 279 (Luke Hayes 99 not out, Freddie Smith 65), Berkshire 119-6.
Sidmouth: Herefordshire 193 (Luke Tulacz 82), Devon 88-2.
Eastern Division Two
Furness: Cumbria 173 (Nathan Waterston 51), Hertfordshire 154-6.
Sleaford: Norfolk 374-9 (Sam Arthurton 84, Charlie Hood 76, Alfie Cooper 68), Lincolnshire 43-1.
Western Division Two
Truro: Shropshire 188 (Roman Walker 61, Elliot Hooper 5-45), Cornwall 119-5.
Ebbw Vale: Dorset (Luke Webb 172, Ed Ellis 82, Felix Organ 70, Luke Griffiths 5-74), Wales NC 38-3.
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