COUNTIES CRICKET Who will reach Championship final?

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Last Updated on Sunday, 23 August 2026 07:51

Published on Sunday, 23 August 2026 07:50

Written by PAUL BOLTON Cricket Correspondent

All eyes will be on events at Peterborough, Stafford and Salisbury as the NCCA Cluberly Championship’s regular season reaches an intriguing finale over three days starting on Sunday.

Four issues remain to be resolved including the winners of the Eastern and Western Divisions One who will meet each other in the final at West Bromwich Dartmouth next month.

The Western Division title has, realistically if not mathematically, become a shoot-out between Wiltshire and Devon at the South Wilts club in Salisbury.

Wiltshire looked unlikely champions when they were trounced by Oxfordshire inside two days at Corsham last month but they bounced back by inflicting just a third Championship defeat in 12 years on Berkshire at Henley last weekend.

Wiltshire have named an unchanged side which again includes Warwickshire left-arm spinner Jake Lintott, who made important contributions with bat and ball  against Berkshire.

Devon have made one change to the side that drew with Berkshire last time out Cameron Kidd replacing the unavailable James Matravers.

Herefordshire, whose relegation was confirmed by their defeat against Oxfordshire on Tuesday, complete a disappointing season against Berkshire at Eastnor.

Former Worcestershire and Leicestershire all-rounder George Rhodes returns along Ollie and Joel Cox. But Ciaran-Baker-Smith is unavailable and Freddie Ammonds (concussion) and Flynn Gunston (broken finger) are ruled out by injuries sustained against Oxfordshire.

Berkshire  have made one change to the side beaten by Wiltshire with Eddie Campion replacing Sulaiman Akhtar.

There will be two significant farewells at Alderley Edge where Cheshire host Wales NC in the Western Division Two decider.

Cheshire chairman Jim Law has announced that he will be stepping down at the end of the season after four years in the role preceded by 16 as the county’s scorer.

The match will also mark the last appearance as a player of Wales’ player/coach Brad Wadlan.

He made his debut for them in 2007 and returned in 2017 after stints with Herefordshire and Cornwall. Wadlan goes into his farewell match having scored 3,889 runs in 57 Championship matches and taken 79 wickets including 14 five wicket hauls and four ten wicket match hauls.

He has also helped to develop a number of talented young Welsh cricketers who have gone on to secure professional contracts with Glamorgan and will play his farewell match alongside three potential debutants in Zach Healy, Elliot Colclough and Jack Billington.

Cornwall, who clinched promotion and the Western Division Two title on Tuesday, round off their season against Dorset at Wimborne.

Cornwall have named the side which beat Cheshire by ten wickets while Dorset, whose defeat by Shropshire ended their promotion hopes, welcome back batters Dylan Church, Will Tripcony and Finn Gordon, who has been trialling with Derbyshire, along with seamers Joe Carson and Ed Bartlett.

Three counties are in contention for the Eastern Division crown with Buckinghamshire, the reigning national champions, heading to Peterborough’s Bretton Gate ground to face a Cambridgeshire side desperate for a win to have any chance of avoiding relegation.

Buckinghamshire go into the game third in the table two points behind Suffolk and one behind Northumberland who have already completed their Championship programme.

Buckinghamshire will be without batter/off-spinner Bertie Foreman who has been a key player in their push to retain their title. Foreman’s form for Buckinghamshire has secured him a second stint with Kent having been released by Sussex last season.

Buckinghamshire are also missing all-rounder Ed Bragg but will give debuts to batters Jack Bates, who has played for Northamptonshire Second XI and Daksh Sabherwal, who was in the squad for last season’s Championship final victory over Devon, and High Wycombe pace bowler Liam Bulteel, a former Berkshire pathway and Second XI player.

Cambridgeshire have also made changes with Histon spinner John Turner called up for his county debut and Matt Rees, Josh Bowers and Will Routledge all recalled. There also a first appearance in three years for Nick Green.

The second day of the match will also be Cambridgeshire’s first Cultural Day with events throughout the day to celebrate all the cultural aspects of recreational cricket.

Suffolk travel to Stafford to face Staffordshire who need to win to have any chance of winning the division.

Suffolk are missing captain Jack Beaumont and his opening partner Ollie Burle who are both unavailable with Nico Boje and Alex Maynard called up as their replacements.

Staffordshire welcome back pace bowler Sam Keeling-Wright whose 13 wickets in the match against Cambridgeshire helped them to their only Championship win of the season. Experienced middle-order batter Michael Hill also returns.

The Eastern Division Two title will be decided at Cleethorpes where Lincolnshire need a maximum of eight points against Cumbria to make an immediate return to the top flight next season.

Norfolk lead the table by six points but they blew their chance of staying there when they were beaten in their last match of the season by Hertfordshire on Tuesday.

Cumbria could still deny Lincolnshire but would need a maximum points victory and to deny their hosts of at least seven bonus points.

James Laud and Pranav Pothula return for Lincolnshire in place of Ben Wright and Singapore international Amartya Kaul.

Bedfordshire host Hertfordshire at Flitwick in the other Eastern Division Two with Bedfordshire also guaranteed the wooden spoon.

George Thurstance returns to captain Bedfordshire with all-rounder Pat Harrington and former Essex pace bowler Jamal Richards also recalled.

Ed Hales and Dan Orchard are included in Hertfordshire’s 12-man squad along with pace bowler Jake Wickham who took eight wickets on debut against Norfolk.

NCCA Cluberly Championship

August 23-25 (11am)

Eastern Division One

Peterborough: Cambridgeshire v Buckinghamshire. Stafford: Staffordshire v Suffolk.

Western Division One

Eastnor: Herefordshire v Berkshire. South Wilts CC: Wiltshire v Devon.

Eastern Division Two

Flitwick: Bedfordshire v Hertfordshire. Cleethorpes: Lincolnshire v Cumbria.

Western Division Two

Alderley Edge: Cheshire v Wales NC. Wimborne: Dorset v Cornwall.

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