Durant Cricket Championship Final 2024 - Day Two Review

Staffordshire captain James Kettleborough delivered for his side when they needed it most with a gutsy half-century that nursed them through a testing truncated second day of the Durant Cricket National Counties Championship final against Berkshire at West Bromwich Dartmouth.

The former Northamptonshire and Glamorgan batter had mustered just 21 runs – 17 of them in one innings – from his previous six visits to the crease in the competition but his patient 64 steered Staffordshire to 163 for three in the 46.4 overs that were possible between a late start and early finish when the rain returned.

Kettleborough dug in during a partnership with makeshift opener Tom Moulton that gave Staffordshire their best start to an innings in more than a year.

Moulton was the more fluent of the opening pair and was the first to his half-century but he was also first to depart when he edged Tommy Sturgess to second slip where Euan Woods held a sharp catch diving to his right.

Moulton departed with Staffordshire one short of their first century opening partnership since last summer’s match against Suffolk at Bury St Edmunds, but Kettleborough remained to frustrate Berkshire.

At first Kettleborough appeared to be playing from memory as he struggled to time the ball but there were tough conditions to bat in as Berkshire’s seamers – Sturgess in particular – caused problems with late movement under cloud and by extracting bounce from an excellent pitch.

But the longer Kettleborough spent at the crease, the better he batted and there was obvious relief when he reached his first half-century of the season in the competition from 107 balls with four fours.

Matt Morris, who had recovered from the dislocated shoulder he sustained in the field on Sunday, joined Kettleborough in a useful second wicket partnership of 47 before both perished in successive balls.

Morris was given out caught behind sweeping at Luke Beaven’s left-arm spin and Kettleborough looked mortified when he drove Charlie Dunnett low to cover from the first ball of the next over having seemingly timed the drive perfectly.

Kettleborough has certainly played many more fluent innings but, given the significance of this match, few as important or so full of resolve and character.

The weather closed in soon after with Staffordshire 219 behind Berkshire but with 37.2 more overs of their first innings allocation in which to further reduce the deficit.

Durant Cricket National Counties Championship Final

Second day of four

West Bromwich Dartmouth: Berkshire 382 (Johnny Connell 142, Josh Lincoln 124, Tom Brett 4-92),Staffordshire 163-3 (James Kettleborough 64, Tom Moulton 52).