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Cheshire booked their place in the quarter-finals of the NV Play National Counties Trophy but were given an almighty scare before they secured a 10 runs win over Shropshire at Oxton. A brilliant 106 from just 96 balls from contracted Warwickshire all-rounder Theo Wylie threatened to take Shropshire to a stiff victory target of 330 but Cheshire’s third successive 300-plus total was just enough to ensure a third straight win

Wylie dominated an opening stand of 89 with Harry Chandler (18) which got Shropshire’s chase off to a flying start and after he was bowled by Dan Wilson, having struck 15 fours and a six, debutant Connor Marshall gave Cheshire further anxious moments as he pummelled 90 not out from 60 balls.

Cheshire’s total of 319 for seven was built on an opening partnership of 110 between Sam Perry (81) and Dan Newton (57) followed by a second wicket stand of 96 between Perry and Alex Money (71).

Cumbria also maintained their unbeaten record in Group One but had to work hard for a two wickets success against Suffolk at Furness.

Darren Ironside’s half-century helped Suffolk recover from 57 for four to 198 all out with supporting innings from Josh Cantrell (33) and Freddie Heldreich (35).

Cumbria’s top order also failed and they were struggling at 58 for five before Max Winskill stabilised the innings with a brisk half-century.

When Winskill departed, LBW to Jack Beaumont, Cumbria were 67 from their target of 199 but an eighth wicket partnership of 59 between Sam Sharp (35) and Nico Watt (22 not out) got them most of the way home.

Holders Dorset slipped to a second defeat in 24 hours with Oxfordshire scrambling a one wicket win at St Edward’s School in Oxford.

Overnight rain meant the match was reduced to 40 overs-a-side and batters found runs hard to come by.

Joe Eckland (31) was the only batter in the match to reach 30 but there were also six single figure scores in Dorset’s total of 120 with off-spinner George Tait taking four wickets.

Luke Maslen (26) and Julian Laird (18) contributed important runs to Oxfordshire’s chase but it was the last wicket pair of Sravan Konidas (14 not out) and Tom Davis (five not out) who got them home with a stand of 19.

There was a quick finish at Wadebridge where Cornwall edged another low-scoring contest against Wales NC by three wickets in the other Group Four match.

Wales were shot out 106 after they opted to bat first with Ryan Tonkin taking three for 28.

Cornwall’s batters also struggled against the spin of Alex Russell and Rhodri Lewis but former Gloucestershire man Chris Dent played an important cameo – 26 at a run-a-ball – which proved decisive in a low scoring contest.

Lincolnshire made it two wins in 24 hours with a nerve-jangling one wicket success over Northumberland at Bracebridge Heath in Group Two.

Lincolnshire needed 18 from 10 balls when the last wicket pair of Alex Moor and Jake Ludlam came together but they got home with two balls to spare after Ludlam struck 12 not out from seven balls and Moor clinched the victory with a six off Alasdair Appleby.

Appleby had early made a half-century to lay the foundations for Northumberland’s competitive total of 261 for nine with the former Durham pair of Jonny Bushnell (79) and Harry Crawshaw (60) sharing a fifth wicket stand of 91.

Bushnell followed by taking three for 50 and slow left-armer Joe Stuart four for 35 but former Leicestershire batter Sam Evans sustained the chase with 85 and was well-supported by Tom Keast 947) in a fourth wicket partnership of 98.

Staffordshire captain James Kettleborough led the way with a century against his former county Bedfordshire which set up a 34 runs win at Ampthill.

Staffordshire were 13 for two before Kettleborough joined Reeve Evitts (51) in a third wicket partnership of 88 which helped them to recover to 231 all out.

Former Essex all-rounder Jamal Richards took four wickets but he could not dislodge Kettleborough who reached his fourth century in the competition before falling LBW to Jake Tarling.

Richards followed up by top-scoring with 40 but it was not enough to save Bedfordshire from a third straight defeat with Evitts also completing a successful day with bat and ball by taking three wickets with his left-arm seamers.

A maiden century from Wiltshire opener Tom Cheater set up a 24 runs over Devon at Warminster in Group Three.

Cheater struck 14 fours and four sixes in his 140-ball 122 and shared an opening partnership of 111 with Jack Mynott (52) with Will Brown’s 19 being the next highest contribution to a total of 252.

Sam Read, Devon’s match-winner against Herefordshire last week, followed up with 51 but became one of five wickets for seamer Chris Aubrey and Devon came up just short.

Herefordshire bounced back from two successive defeats by beating Hertfordshire in a tight contest at Brockhampton.

Archie Harrison impressed with bat and ball for Hertfordshire with the former Derbyshire all-rounder top-scoring with 53 in a total of 176 for eight then taking three wickets to disrupt Herefordshire’s chase.

Herefordshire were one for two in the third over of their chase with seamer Dan Orchard taking both wickets in the space of six balls. But former Worcestershire left-hander Taylor Cornall (77) and captain Luke Tulacz (32) patiently rebuilt the innings with a third wicket partnership of 109.

Herefordshire stuttered again before Luke Powell (37 not out) and James Rudge (14 not out) got them home with 11 balls to spare with a seventh wicket partnership of 36 with Rudge completing an excellent day’s work having earlier taken four wickets.

NV Play National Counties Trophy

Group One

Furness CC: Suffolk 198 (Darren Ironside 57), Cumbria 199-8 (Max Winskill 50, Josh Cantrell 3-47). Cumbria won by two wickets.

Oxton: Cheshire 329-7 (Sam Perry 81, Alex Money 71, Dan Newton 57, Joe Stanley 3-66), Shropshire 319-7 (Theo Wylie 106, Connor Marshall 90 not out). Cheshire won by 10 runs,

Group Two

Ampthill: Staffordshire 231 (James Kettleborough 104, Reeve Evitts 51, Jamal Richards 4-36), Bedfordshire 197 (Reeve Evitts 3-46). Staffordshire won by 34 runs.

Bracebridge Heath: Northumberland 261-9 (Jonny Bushnell 79, Alasdair Appleby 64, Harry Crawshaw 60, Nic Keast 4-48), Lincolnshire262-9 (Sam Evans 85, Tom Keast 47, Joe Stuart 4-35, Jonny Bushnell 3-50). Lincolnshire won by one wicket.

Group Three

Brockhampton: Hertfordshire 176-8 (Archie Harrison 53, James Rudge 4-56), Herefordshire 177-6 (Taylor Cornall 77, Archie Harrison 3-35). Herefordshire won by four wickets.

Warminster: Wiltshire 252 (Tom Cheater 122, Jack Mynott 52, Callum Harvey 3-28), Devon 228 (Sam Read 51, Ben Privett 48, James Horler 47, Chris Aubrey 5-51). Wiltshire won by 24 runs.

Group Four

Wadebridge:  Wales NC 106 (Ryan Tonkin 3-28), Cornwall 107-7 (Alex Russell 3-27). Cornwall won by three wickets.

St Edward’s School: Dorset 120 George Tait 4-26), Oxfordshire 121-9 (Joe Carson 3-30). Oxfordshire won by one wicket.