Durant Cricket National Counties Championship - Day 2 Review

Alex Blake limbered up for his surprise recall to Kent’s LV=County Championship squad by helping Cornwall take control of their Durant Cricket National Counties Championship Western Division Two match against Shropshire at Bridgnorth. 

Blake’s day began with a phone call from Kent head coach Matt Walker to check on his availability for the County Championship match against Nottinghamshire which starts at Trent Bridge on Tuesday to help bolster an injury-ravaged squad. 

The call was unexpected as Blake’s last first-class appearance came four years ago, he is on a white ball-only contract and he had travelled to the Midlands without any of his Kent red ball kit. 

Having quickly renegotiated the terms of his contract and arranged for his Kent whites to be transported to Nottingham, left-hander Blake followed his century for Cornwall against Dorset two weeks ago with an attacking 73 before he departed for Trent Bridge at tea time. 

Cornwall were given dispensation to bring in a substitute for the final day of the match and registered Nottinghamshire and England Under-19 all-rounder Fateh Singh to replace Blake. 

Having dashed from Nottingham, slow left-armer Singh struck with his first ball in National Counties cricket when he had former Worcestershire batter Tom Fell LBW just before the close. 

Blake’s entertaining 76-ball innings, which included four sixes and six fours, helped Cornwall to 427 all out and a lead of 111. 

But he was eclipsed by his good friend Will MacVicar who plundered 116 – his maiden century – from 139 balls as Cornwall accelerated either side of tea. 

MacVicar added 127 for the fifth wicket with his captain Paul Smith (66) and although slow left-armer Peter Clark and leg-spinner Sam Whitney took seven wickets between them they came at the cost of 205 runs. 

Earlier seamers Ben Roberts and Sam Ellis had caused problems after a delayed start following heavy overnight rain had seeped under the covers. 

Wiltshire fought back well at Corsham where solid batting down the order with half-centuries from Jack Mynott (83), Ed Young (68), Jake Goodwin (66) and Jack Stearman (58) plus a rapid 43 from Harry Broderick restricted Wales NC’s first innings lead to 51. Former Somerset left arm pace bowler Jack Harding took four for 61 for Wales. 

Wiltshire’s new ball pair Arthur Godsal and Chris Aubrey then had Wales struggling at 16 for three at the start of their second innings before they closed on 32 for four. 

Defending champions Berkshire were frustrated by a combination of rain and stubborn Oxfordshire resistance on the second day at Thame in Western Division One. 

Rain prevented play until mid-afternoon but seamer Tom Nugent quickly reduced Oxfordshire to 15 for three. 

But George Tait, who took four first innings wickets, came to the rescue with bat making 71 not out with skipper Olly Clarke (48 not out) and Tom Hinley (35) giving him excellent support. 

Tait and Clarke’s unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 106 took Oxfordshire to 175 for four at the close, 139 adrift of Berkshire. 

Overnight rain wiped out the second successive day at Alderley Edge which means that Cheshire’s match against Herefordshire will become a one innings contest provided play starts before 12pm on the final day. If no play is possible before noon the match will be abandoned. 

Former Worcestershire and Leicestershire all-rounder George Rhodes led Suffolk’s fightback against Lincolnshire in Eastern Division One at Sleaford. 

Rhodes followed his century in the second innings of the defeat by Staffordshire two weeks ago with 80 not out which helped Suffolk to recover from 21 for three to 174 for four. 

Former Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Surrey left-arm paceman Mark Footitt took the first three wickets for eight before Rhodes and Ben Parker (65) stabilised things with a fourth wicket partnership of 130. 

Earlier Suffolk had taken Lincolnshire’s last seven wickets for 66 with slow left-armer Jack Beaumont finishing with four for 59 and left arm seamer Matt Wareing three for 43. 

Newly-promoted Buckinghamshire put Staffordshire under pressure at West Bromwich Dartmouth where half centuries from Michael Payne (86) and AJ Woodland (65) plus aggressive contributions from Ross Richardson (42) and Ed Bragg (33) took them to 330 for eight declared and a lead of 124. 

Staffordshire closed on 70 for three from 42 overs with more work to do to deny Buckinghamshire a second successive win. 

Durham prospect Ross Whitfield marked his Championship debut with 104 which rescued Northumberland against Bedfordshire at Bedford School. 

Northumberland trailed by 80 on first innings and appeared to be heading for defeat when they slipped to 17 for three at the start of their second innings. 

But Whitfield and Bobby Green (27) propped up the innings with a fourth wicket stand of 57 before Whitfield and Alasdair Appleby (37) put Northumberland in credit by adding 89 for the fifth wicket. 

Whitfield eventually went LBW to former Leicestershire seamer Alex Evans and he was quickly followed by Matthew Oswell and Oli McGee as Northumberland closed on 212 for eight. 

Play did not get underway at Bishop’s Stortford until 5.30pm and it was hosts Hertfordshire who enjoyed the better of the abbreviated evening session against Cumbria. 

JJ Fielding was bowled by Jack Plom without adding to his overnight 53, Essex seamer Aaron Beard accounted for Matt Sempill and Ben Davidson and captain Ben Waring added the wickets of Michael Slack and Drew Postlethwaite to restrict Cumbria to a lead of 16 with two first innings wickets remaining. 

Photo Credit: Staffordshire CCC