COUNTIES CRICKET Devon's great start to title decider
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- Created on Sunday, 23 August 2026 20:00
- Last Updated on Monday, 24 August 2026 07:39
- Published on Sunday, 23 August 2026 20:00
- Written by PAUL BOLTON Cricket Correspondent
Devon dropped one batting point when they were dismissed for 310 in their first innings but it was the only blemish on a near-perfect day as their bowlers then routed Wiltshire for 92 to secure four more valuable bonus points.
Devon did not enforce the follow-on but instead opted to bat again and had increased their lead to 232 with all second innings wickets intact by the close.
Will Naish contributed almost half of Wiltshire’s meagre first innings total with 45 while seamer George Daldorph, a key performer for Devon in his debut season in National Counties cricket, took three for 37 and spinners Scott Harvey (three for 33) and Sam Read (two for six in four overs) squeezed Wiltshire.
Devon, the defending Western Division champions, appeared to have laid the platform for a more substantial first innings total when Elliot Hamilton (66) and Sam Elstone (63) opened with a first wicket partnership of 104.
But their progress was then checked by Wiltshire’s Warwickshire left-arm wrist spinner Jake Lintott who took five for 89, the 12th five wicket haul of his career in the Championship.
Devon slipped to 129 for four before Ben Privett led the counter-attack with 95 from 73 balls, an innings that included five sixes, with Read (30) and Harvey (26) contributing important runs.
Off-spinner Joe King (three for 92) and slow left-armer Ed Young (two for 37) helped Lintott to secure maximum bowling points but those will be the only points they take from the game unless they can conjure up an unlikely victory over the next two days.
Eastern Division One leaders Suffolk banked maximum batting points against Staffordshire at Stafford despite a third five wicket haul in as many innings from pace bowler Sam Keeling-Wright.
Stand-in openers Alex Maynard (79) and Nico Boje (91) flayed 145 from the first 20 overs of the match against a mis-firing attack.
Sam Atkinson made the breakthrough by dismissing Maynard and Boje, the son of former South Africa slow left-armer Nicky, fell to Liam Hurt within sight of a maiden century.
Keeling-Wright, who took 13 wickets in the victory over Cambridgeshire at Checkley in his previous Championship appearance, made further inroads before Josh Cantrell, with 88 from 84 balls, guided Suffolk to 398 all out.
Staffordshire reduced the deficit by 97 for the loss of James Kettleborough and Reeve Evitts, with Matt Morris unbeaten on 50 at the close.
Buckinghamshire, the reigning national and Eastern Division champions, secured maximum bowling points against Cambridgeshire at Peterborough where captain Conner Haddow continued took four for 90
Opener Will Routledge (76) and former Glamorgan batter Tom Cullen (86) led the resistance for Cambridgeshire who need to win this match to have any hope of avoiding relegation.
Buckinghamshire had reduced the deficit by 71 by the close for the loss of Billy Dodds who shared an opening partnership of 60 with his brother, Archie.
Wales NC openers Mat Ryan and Tegid Phillips shared a Championship record first wicket partnership of 380 against Cheshire at Alderley Edge in Western Division Two.
The partnership surpassed the previous first wicket record of 335 which Norfolk openers Carl Amos and Carl Rogers shared against Hertfordshire in 2002 and was also the fourth highest for the any wicket since the Championship began in 1895.
Ryan converted his maiden half-century in the competition into 241, Wales’ record Championship score, with Phillips finishing unbeaten on 155.
Wales piled up 487 for two in their 90 overs which was their highest total in the Championship, 13 more than they made against Dorset at Wimborne three years ago.
Cheshire’s opening partnership had made 348 fewer than Ryan and Phillips when Henry Murray went LBW to Jason Foulkes but Lancashire staff-man Kesh Fonseka ended the day unbeaten on 51 and his side on 79 for one.
Cornwall, who wrapped up the Western Division Two title and promotion to Division One last week, recovered from an early wobble against Dorset at Wimborne.
Cornwall were 20 for four against Dorset’s new ball bowlers Joe Carson and Ed Bartlett but they eventually reached 294 all out thanks to half-centuries from Alfie MacDonald (74), Elliot Hooper (65) and Billy Taylor (62).
Dorset made a solid start to their replay with Dylan Church unbeaten on 50 out of 78 for one.
Herefordshire, who will swap places with Cornwall next season following their relegation from Western Division One, had another chastening day against Berkshire at Eastnor.
Herefordshire were dismissed for 138 with Berkshire’s new ball pair, Andy Rishton and Lewis Sharp, bowling unchanged for the first 80 minutes and returning combined figures of 17-8-56-6.
It would have been worse for Herefordshire but for a defiant half-century from captain Luke Tulacz but Joel Cox (28) was the only other batter to reach 20 in a below-par total.
Berkshire took the lead for the loss of two wickets with former England Under-19s international James Isbell making a maiden Championship century and pushing on to 151 before he went LBW to Roshan Venkataraman.
Isbell and Charlie Dunnett (52) added 111 for the third wicket and Berkshire ended the day on 301 for eight.
No play was possible in the Eastern Division Two title decider between Lincolnshire and Cumbria at Cleethorpes where heavy rain in the days leading up to the match left the outfield unplayable.
In the other Eastern Division Two match at Flitwick it was honours even between Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
Half-centuries from Zaid Faleel (63), Joe Lowe (58 not out) and Danyaal Khalid (53) took Bedfordshire to 284 all out with pace bowler Jake Wickham, Hertfordshire’s match-winner on debut against Norfolk last week, adding four more wickets.
Ben Waring, Hertfordshire’s captain, took four for 49 in 31 overs of left-arm spin before his side recovered from losing Dominic Chatfield, a century-maker against Norfolk, for a duck to reach 70 for two.
NCCA Cluberly Championship
First day of three
Eastern Division One
Peterborough: Cambridgeshire 291 (Tom Cullen 86, Will Routledge 76, Conner Haddow 4-90), Buckinghamshire 71-1.
Stafford: Suffolk 398 (Nico Boje 91, Josh Cantrell 88, Alex Maynard 79, Sam Keeling-Wright 5-117), Staffordshire 97-2 (Matt Morris 50 not out).
Western Division One
Eastnor: Herefordshire 138 (Luke Tulacz 60 not out), Berkshire 301-8 (James Isbell 151, Charlie Dunnett 52).
South Wilts CC: Devon 310 (Ben Privett 95, Elliot Hamilton 66, Sam Elstone 63, Jake Lintott 5-89) & 14-0, Wiltshire 92 (Will Naish 45).
Eastern Division Two
Flitwick: Bedfordshire 284 (Zaid Faleel 63, Joe Lowe 58 not out, Danyaal Khalid 53, Ben Waring 4-49, Jake Wickham 4-87), Hertfordshire 70-2.
Cleethorpes: Lincolnshire v Cumbria. No play on Sunday.
Western Division Two
Alderley Edge: Wales NC 487-2 (Mat Ryan 241, Tegid Phillips 155 not out), Cheshire 79-1 (Kesh Fonseka 51 not out).
Wimborne: Cornwall 294 (Alfie MacDonald 74, Elliot Hooper 65, Billy Taylor 62), Dorset 78-1 (Dylan Church 50 not out).
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