Sam Keeling-Wright returned Staffordshire’s best bowling figures in 51 years against Cambridgeshire on the opening day of the NCCA Cluberly Championship Eastern Division One match at Checkley.

The Old Hill pace bowler, who is trialling with Northamptonshire, took eight for 60 which were Staffordshire’s best in the competition since Keith Stride took eight for 13 against Lincolnshire at Longton in 1975. Keeling-Wright’s figures were also Staffordshire’s best against Cambridgeshire in 120 years putting him elite company alongside the great Sydney Barnes who took eight 49 at Fenner’s in August 1906 having taken eight for 43 against Cambridgeshire at the County Ground in Stoke a month earlier.

There was no play at Checkley before lunch following overnight rain and Cambridgeshire were soon in trouble after their captain Ben Claydon had won the toss and decided to bat first.

Keeling-Wright took three of the first four wickets to leave Cambridgeshire struggling on 51 for four before Claydon 32) and Alex Peirson (37 not out) doubled the total in a fifth wicket partnership that accounted for almost a third of the total.

Keeling-Wright had Claydon caught behind and cut through the lower order before Matthew Rees helped Peirson add 24 for the last wicket.

Staffordshire replied with an opening partnership of between James Kettleborough (42) and Sam Kelsall (29) but they departed within six balls of each other.

Reeve Evitts and Tom Moulton got Staffordshire through to the close without further alarm at 115 for two.

There was no play before tea at Benwell Hill where defending champions Buckinghamshire were made to struggle by Northumberland after they had also decided to bat first.

Archie Dodds and Ewan Cox went early to former Durham seamer Jonny Bushnell who returned to have Rhys Nicholas LBW.

Opener Billy Dodds held Buckinghamshire together with 69 not out in two hours and 40 minutes to take them to 134 for six at the close.

Wiltshire pair Cyrus Shafi and Stan Brown made their maiden Championship centuries against Herefordshire at Eastnor in Western Division One.

Shafi, who played for Herefordshire last season, made 146 and former Hampshire all-rounder Brown 112 to help Wiltshire recover from 89 for four at lunch to 404 all out.

Shafi battled to 30 in the first session and looked mortified when Jake Goodwin was run out in a mix up in the last over before lunch.

But Shafi moved up a gear immediately after the interval and accelerated smoothly to his century from 153 balls with 11 fours and four sixes. He added two more sixes and five more fours before he was caught at deep midwicket off Ben Chapman-Lilley.

Shafi added 89 for the fifth wicket with Tom Cheater (34) and 108 for the sixth with Brown whose 106-ball innings contained 15 fours and three sixes.

Things got worse for Herefordshire when they batted as they lost former Worcestershire batter Taylor Cornall for the sixth ball of their first innings and ended the day deep in trouble at 44 for five.

Western Division champions Devon were dismissed for 287 by Oxfordshire at Banbury where they lost their last five wickets for 54.

Half-centuries from Sam Elstone and Seb Linnitt and 49 from Ben Privett appeared to have laid the foundations for a more substantial total but seamers Jack Warner, with four wickets on Championship debut, and Luke Hayes (three for 30) checked Devon’s progress.

Oxfordshire made a solid start to their reply, closing on 72 for one after the early departure of Julian Laird.

Former Leicestershire and Glamorgan pace bowler Roman Walker claimed Shropshire’s best bowling figures against Wales NC – eight for 44 - at Bridgnorth in Western Division Two.

Walker’s figures were also Shropshire’s fifth best since they entered the Championship in 1957 and helped to dismiss Wales for 166 after they had been put in.

Sami Khan (43) and captain Cameron Herring (36) led Wales’ resistance after Walker, who played for Wales in 2018, had taken three of the first four wickets.

A half century on Championship debut from Shrewsbury Finn Jones and 53 not out from Harry Chandler took Shropshire past Wales’ total and on to 204 for two by the close.

Sam Perry’s Championship-best 162 helped Cheshire to maximum batting points against Dorset at Wimborne.

Perry built on the solid foundations laid by Lancashire’s Kesh Fonseka, with 45 on debut, and Henry Dobson who added 89 for the second wicket.

By the time Perry became one of four wickets for slow left-armer Mo Abbas he had made the third Championship century of his career, batted for almost four hours, faced 193 balls and struck 18 fours.

Cheshire were 407 for nine in their 90 overs and Dorset reduced the deficit by 65 for the loss of Dylan Church before the close with Finn Gordon unbeaten on 43 from 38 balls.

Lincolnshire’s batters enjoyed themselves against Hertfordshire at Hitchin in Eastern Division Two.

There were centuries for former Leicestershire batter Sam Evans and Pranav Pothula, his first in National Counties cricket, and a near-miss for Sam Jarvis who was dismissed for 92 on his first Championship appearance for Lincolnshire.

Evans and Jarvis – whose only previous appearance in the competition came for Bedfordshire two years ago, added 226 for the second wicket before Pothula cut loose, making 113 from 98 balls including five sixes.

Hertfordshire captain Ben Waring bowled 32 overs and took four for 133 but Lincolnshire still piled up 449 for eight then reduced Hertfordshire to 49 for four at the close.

Bedfordshire were shot out for 123 by Norfolk on the first day of their Championship season after captain George Thurstance had opted to bat first at Sprowston.

Bedfordshire were soon in trouble at 11 for three before Thurstance led a mini-recovery with 43 but they limped to lunch at 102 for eight and were dismissed soon after the interval with seamers Andy Handy (four for 38) and Callum Metcalf (three for 29) causing the damage.

Norfolk stuttered when they were 56 for three early in their reply but debutant Enoch Uthayarajan and Charlie Hood batted them into the lead in a fourth wicket partnership of 137.

Uthayarajan, who plays his club cricket for Norwich, fell for a composed 87 but Hood was still there at the close unbeaten on 83 with Norfolk 239 for four and 116 ahead.

NCCA CLUBERLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Day One

Eastern Division One

Benwell Hill: Buckinghamshire 134-6 (Billy Dodds 69 not out) v Northumberland.

Checkley: Cambridgeshire 152 (Sam Keeling-Wright 8-60), Staffordshire 115-2 (James Kettleborough 42).

Western Division One

Eastnor: Wiltshire 404 (Cyrus Shafi 146, Stan Brown 112), Herefordshire 44-5.

Banbury: Devon 287 (Sam Elstone 52, Seb Linnitt 51, Ben Privett 49, Jack Warner 4-36), Oxfordshire 72-1.

Eastern Division Two

Hitchin: Lincolnshire 449-8 (Sam Evans 118, Pranav Pothula 113, Sam Jarvis 92, Ben Waring 4-133), Hertfordshire 49-4.

Sprowston: Bedfordshire 123 (Andy Hanby 4-38), Norfolk 239-4 (Enoch Uthayarajan 87, Charlie Hood 83 not out).

Western Division Two

Wimborne: Cheshire 407-9 (Sam Perry 162, Henry Dobson 52, Kesh Fonseka 45, Mo Abbas 4-89), Dorset 65-1 (Finn Gordon 43 not out).

Bridgnorth: Wales NC 166 (Roman Walker 8-44), Shropshire 204-2 (Finn Jones 78, Harry Chander 53 not out).