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Norfolk captain Sam Arthurton set a new record for career centuries in the NV Play National Counties Trophy as he reached three figures for the seventh time in the 66 runs victory over Northumberland at Sprowston.

The 33-year-old right-hander had been level on six centuries with Gary Pratt, who played his last match in the competition for Cumbria in 2023, but moved into a clear lead with a match-shaping 119 – his 23rd century for Norfolk in all formats.

Arthurton, who lifted the Trophy two years ago, reached three figures from 123 balls and took his career aggregate in the competition past 2,500 runs before he upper-cut a catch to deep cover.

Arthurton shared a first wicket partnership of 107 with Freddie Fairey (33) and a third wicket stand of 110 with Alfie Cooper (45) after Northumberland had opted to bowl first.

Arthurton’s innings was the centrepiece of Norfolk’s 266 for seven with three wickets from former Durham all-rounder Jonny Bushnell checking their progress after in the later stages of their innings.

But it proved a winning total as Northumberland struggled to find someone to play a similar anchor role. Bushnell impressed in defeat with 66 but Northumberland fell well short against the spin of Hamidullah Qadri (three for 28) and Cam Graveling (three for 30).

Lincolnshire captain Nic Keast led from the front with his maiden Trophy century in a crushing 182 runs victory over Bedfordshireat Dunstable.

Keast had made just 138 runs in his previous 14 innings in the competition but converted his maiden fifty into a destructive 128 from 84 balls after Bedfordshire captain George Thurstance had opted to bowl first.

Keast shared successive century partnerships for the first two wickets with Ben Wright (47) and James Laud (46) which helped them pile up 345 for nine, their highest total in the competition in eight years.

Bedfordshire were dismissed for 163 with almost 14 overs unused with only Matt Taylor (36) topping 30.

Shropshire, last season’s beaten finalists, were indebted to Andre Bradford for steering them to a one wicket victory over Cambridgeshire in a last ball thriller at Shifnal in Group One.

Shropshire were 25 short of a target of 210 when Bradford was joined by last man Ben Roberts but he held his nerve to keep the strike and take 14 from the final over bowled by Cambridgeshire skipper James Sykes including four from the last ball.

Former Glamorgan batter Tom Cullen had impressed with 67 in his first match as Cambridgeshire’s new senior professional with his fourth wicket partnership of 54 with Dan Andrew (47) taking them to a competitive 209 for six.

Shropshire appeared to be heading to a second successive defeat when they slipped to 185 for nine with seamer Jack Loveday taking a competition-best four for 30 but Cambridgeshire could not dislodge Bradford who finished with his Trophy best 84 not out.

Trophy holders Dorset suffered a setback in their title defence as they went down by 20 runs to Wales NC at Wimborne.

Former Nottinghamshire batter Sam King impressed on his Wales debut with a run-a-ball 91 in which he shared partnerships of 76 for the third wicket with Mathew Ryan and 118 for the fourth with his captain Brad Wadlan (71 not out).

Dorset responded with a half-century from Will Tripcony and 43 from captain Luke Webb but they faltered against former Northamptonshire leg-spinner Alex Russell (three for 46) and the left-arm spin of Wadlan and were dismissed for 292.

Devon ended an eight-year for a victory over Berkshirein any competition with a 43 runs success in a low-scoring contest at the Falkland club in Newbury.

Seb Linnitt’s 39 proved to be the highest score of the contest but supporting innings from Callum Harvey (30) and Matt Whalley (29 not out).

Whalley followed up with the wickets of Ben Salter and Andrew MacEwen as Berkshire were dismissed for 146 in 43.2 overs with captain Andy Rishton top scoring with 27.

Wiltshire opened their Trophy campaign with a 77 runs victory under the DLS Method over Herefordshire at Colwall where rain forced a late start and an early finish.

Wiltshire were struggling at 89 for five before they were revived by a sixth wicket partnership of 55 between captain Ed Young (68) and William Brown (51) which lifted them to 219.

Herefordshire – with the exception of captain Luke Tulacz (47) - found batting even more difficult and had laboured to 121 for eight in 39 overs when rain halted played, well adrift of their required DLS calculation.

Buckinghamshire also made it two wins from two in Group Four with a comfortable 109 runs victory over Oxfordshire at Thame.

A competition-best 87 from Josh Lincoln, a winter recruit from Berkshire, proved significant as did his county record seventh wicket partnership of 123 with Ed Bragg (42 which helped them recover form 100 for six to 257 for eight.

Oxfordshire stuttered to 148 all out in reply with Buckinghamshire’s new captain Conner Haddow taking three for 15.

Rain also affected play at Toft which reduced Cheshire’s Group One match against Suffolk to 46 overs-a-side affair.

But it did not stop Cheshire passing 300 for the second week running and banking a 116 runs victory over Suffolk.

Cheshire lost Dan Newton, LBW to Arafat Bhuiyan’s first ball of the match, but a second wicket stand of 145 between Alex Money (89) and Sam Perry (75) laid the foundations for a challenging 338 for six.

Money and last week’s century-maker Henry Murray (29) added 60 for the third wicket before debutant Gennaro Reddy, an all-rounder from Alderley Edge, supplied the fireworks with 66 from 27 balls, 56 of them in boundaries.

Suffolk were held together by Josh Cantrell’s 90 from 64 balls but they were dismissed with more than eight of their overs unused with Lindow’s slow left-armer Isaac Brookes (three for 38) and Andrew Jackson (three for 51) stifling the chase.

There are eight more group matches in the NV Play National Counties Trophy on May Day Bank Holiday Monday when Cheshire and Devon will be seeking their third wins of the season and likely qualification for the quarter-finals.

NV Play National Counties Trophy

Group One

Toft: Cheshire 338-6 (Alex Money 89, Sam Perry 75, Gennaro Reddy 66), Suffolk 222 (Josh Cantrell 90) Cheshire won by 116 runs.

Shifnal: Cambridgeshire 209-6 (Tom Cullen 67, Dan Andrew 47), Shropshire 213-9 (Andre Bradford 84 not out, Jack Loveday 4-30). Shropshire won by one wicket.

Group Two

Dunstable: Lincolnshire 345-9 (Nic Keast 128, Ben Wright 47), Bedfordshire 163. Lincolnshire won by 182 runs.

Sprowston: Norfolk 266-7 (Sam Arthurton 119), Northumberland200 (Jonny Bushnell 66). Norfolk won by 66 runs.

Group Three

Falkland CC: Devon 189, Berkshire 146. Devon won by 43 runs.

Colwall: Wiltshire 219 (Ed Young 68, Will Brown 51), Herefordshire121-8 (Luke Tulacz 47). Wiltshire won by 77 (DLS).

Group Four

Wales NC 312-5 (Sam King 91, Brad Wadlan 71 not out), Dorset 292 (Will Tripcony 61). Wales NC won by 20 runs.Thame: Buckinghamshire 257-8 (Josh Lincoln 87), Oxfordshire148 (Conner Haddow 3-15). Buckinghamshire won by 109 runs.

May 4 (11am)

Group One: Cumbria v Suffolk (Furness CC, Barrow), Cheshire v Shropshire (Oxton).

Group Two: Bedfordshire v Staffordshire (Ampthill), Lincolnshire v Northumberland (Bracebridge Heath).

Group Three: Herefordshire v Hertfordshire (Brockhampton), Wiltshire v Devon (Warminster).

Group Four: Cornwall v Wales NC (Wadebridge), Oxfordshire v Dorset (St Edward’s School, Oxford).