Image taken by: Paul Williams

Dorset inflicted further pain on Shropshire as they opened their NCCA Cluberly Championship Western Division Two campaign with an innings and 40 runs victory inside two days at Wimborne.

The win came just 15 days after Dorset had defeated Shropshire in the National Counties Trophy final with slow left-armer Mo Abbas, who sat out that game, the match-winner this time.

Abbas followed up his four first innings wickets with another career-best – five for 31 – which gave him match figures of nine for 50.

Shropshire, who were shout out for 130 in their first innings, managed only seven more in their second with opener Seb Scott (33) the only batter to reach 30.

Earlier Dorset built scoreboard pressure by making 307 for nine in their first innings with Ed Ellis (87 not out) playing the key innings with excellent support from Ethan Baker (24) and Joe Carson (39). Ellis and Carson added 78 for the eighth wicket with seamer George McCormick taking three for 42 for Shropshire.

Wiltshire opening batter Jack Mynott continued his excellent start to the Championship season with a century against Cheshire in the other Western Division Two match at Alderley Edge.

Mynott’s century left the match finely-balanced after Cheshire had gained a first innings lead of 24 thanks to half-centuries from captain David Wainwright (82) and Luke Young, who followed up his six wickets on the first day with 73 not out).

Thanks to Mynott and half-centuries from captain Ed Young and Jake Goodwin, Wiltshire ended the day on 255 for four with the match nicely balanced.

A swashbuckling innings from acting-captain Michael Hill and five wickets from slow left-armer Tom Brett revived Eastern Division champions Staffordshire’s victory hopes against Lincolnshire at Checkley.

Hill, leading Staffordshire in the absence of James Kettleborough, who is on paternity leave, again showed his liking for Lincolnshire’s bowling by clobbering five sixes to finish unbeaten on 93, his sixth score of 90 or more against Lincolnshire in six years.

Brett (7) and Jake Garlick (0) each managed to hold up an end while Hill attacked and Staffordshire’s last two wickets added 60 priceless runs which restricted Lincolnshire’s lead to 28.

Brett then took up where left off last season by taking five for 54 with Tom Keast (61) and former Leicestershire batter Sam Evans (49) helping Lincolnshire to 263.

That left Staffordshire with a target of 292 and openers Matt Morris (35 not out) and Tom Moulton (42 not out) gave them a solid start by reducing it by 83 by the close.

Suffolk took control against Cambridgeshire at Sawston where a disciplined team bowling performance dismissed their hosts for 142 and secured a first innings lead of 157.

Suffolk had stretched that to 392 by the close despite a five wicket haul from former Bedfordshire slow left-armer George Darlow.

Debuutant Nico Boje (40) and Jack Beaumont (38) opened with a partnership of 68 and an unbeaten half-century from Henry Bevan, on his Championship debut, took Suffolk to 235 for nine.

Western Division champions Berkshire fought back in the evening session against Cornwall at Truro.

Berkshire trailed by 101 on first innings despite half centuries from captain Dan Lincoln and Rhys Lewis with Cornwall’s acting-captain Will MacVicar again leading from the front with six wickets.

Seamer Andy Rishton then took two wickets as Cornwall slipped to 28 for three at the start of their second innings before Alex Blake, a double centurion in the first innings, and Xavie Clarke took them to 58 for three at the close.

Oxfordshire closed in on victory against Herefordshire in the other Western Division One match at Eastnor.

They had a first innings lead of 173 after dismissing Herefordshire for 223 and quickly extended it to 448 before captain Max Mannering declared. Oxfordshire then had Herefordshire in trouble at 18 for two at the close.

Herefordshire’s first innings resistance was led by their acting-captain Olly Walker (84) and Hasan Mahmood (72) with Mannering taking four wickets.

George Tait (93 from 59 balls) and Luke Maslen, with his second half-century of the match, accelerated Oxfordshire to their declaration at 275 for six inside 39 overs.

Norfolk took 12 Northumberland wickets in the day to put themselves in sight of victory at Sprowston in Eastern Division Two.

Seamer Andy Hanby took eight of those wickets, six for 44 as Northumberland were shot out for 103 first time and two more at the end of the day.

Norfolk led by 146 on first innings and set Northumberland a stiff target of 391 after skipper Sam Arthurton made his 16th century in the competition.

Arthurton and Ethan Metcalf shared an opening partnership of 173 before Callum Fletcher and Joe Stuart shared six wickets as Norfolk moved towards a declaration. Slow left-armer Stuart finished with match figures of nine for 100 on his Championship debut.

The other Eastern Division Two match at Bishops Stortford is more evenly balanced with Hertfordshire 103 ahead of Cumbria with nine second innings wickets intact going into the final day.

Cumbria restricted Hertfordshire’s first innings lead to 13 with another half-century from wicketkeeper Drew Postlethwaite and valuable contributions through the order from Ben Walkden (46), Freddie Fallows (43), Ben Davison (37) and Max Winskill (30).

Former Derbyshire all-rounder Archie Harrison was one away from a half century when Hertfordshire closed on 90 for one.

NCCA Cluberly Championship

Second day of three

Eastern Division One

Sawston: Suffolk 299-9 (Ben Parker 90, Wayne White 5-77) & 235-9 (Henry Bevan 64 not out, George Darlow 5-79), Cambridgeshire 142 (Ben Claydon 53).

Checkley: Lincolnshire 246 (Jordan Cook 68, Sam Atkinson 5-70) & 263 (Tom Keast 61, Sam Evans 49, Tom Brett 5-54), Staffordshire 218 (Michael Hill 93 not out, Alex Moor 5-59) & 83-0.

Western Division One

Truro: Cornwall 394-8 dec (Alex Blake 208, Xavie Clarke 95) & 59-3, Berkshire 293 (Dan Lincoln 72, Rhys Lewis 65, Will MacVicar 6-111)

Eastnor: Oxfordshire 398-9 (Freddie Smith 125 not out, Luke Maslen 87) & 275-6 dec (George Tait 93, Luke Maslen 72, James Rudge 4-58, Herefordshire 223 (Ollie Walker 84, Hasan Mahmood 72, Max Mannering 4-55) & 18-2.

Eastern Division Two

Bishops Stortford: Hertfordshire 279 (Jack Plom 50) & 90-1 (Archie Harrison 49 not out), Cumbria 267 (Drew Postlethwaite 55).

Sprowston: Norfolk 249-9 (Alfie Cooper 80, Charlie Hood 59, Joe Stuart 5-44, Callum Fletcher 4-81) & 244-8 dec (Sam Arthurton 107, Ethan Metcalf 83),Northumberland 103 (Andy Hanby 6-39) & 2-2.

Western Division Two

Alderley Edge: Wiltshire 239 (Jack Mynott 55, Luke Young 6-75) & (Jack Mynott 105, Ed Young 56, Jake Goodwin 53 not out), Cheshire 263-8 (David Wainwright 82, Luke Young 73 not out).

Wimborne: Shropshire 130 (Mo Abbas 4-19) & 137 (Mo Abbas 5-31), Dorset 307-9 (Ed Ellis 87 not out). Dorset (23pts) beat Shropshire (4pts) by an innings and 40 runs.