Durant Cricket National Counties Championship - Day 3 Review

Buckinghamshire continued their impressive start to life in Eastern Division One of the Durant Cricket National Counties Championship by beating Staffordshire by eight wickets at West Bromwich Dartmouth. 

Having been promoted as Eastern Division Two champions Buckinghamshire beat Norfolk in their first top-flight match two weeks ago and backed it up with another excellent team performance that brought them a haul of maximum points. 

Despite belligerent half-centuries from Nils Priestley (70 from 49 balls) and Liam Hurt (52 from 56 balls) Staffordshire were dismissed for 232 with slow left-armer Conner Haddow following up his 10 wickets in the match against Norfolk with nine more here. 

Having taken three wickets without conceding a run at the end of Staffordshire’s first innings, Haddow took six for 97 in the second. 

Buckinghamshire were left to chase 109 for victory and they cantered home with former Worcestershire and Netherlands batter Alexei Kervezee leading the charge by clobbering four sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 59 from 32 balls. 

Another ex-Worcestershire man, George Rhodes, made it back-to-back centuries for Suffolk in their drawn match against Lincolnshire at Sleaford. 

Rhodes, who was released by Leicestershire last season, followed up his second innings 148 in the defeat by Staffordshire with a Championship-best 172, a 233-ball innings that included 20 fours and three sixes. 

Josh Cantrell chipped in with a brisk 52 before Suffolk declared on 349 for seven with former Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Surrey paceman Mark Footitt taking five of the wickets. 

Lincolnshire trailed by 149 on first innings but safely batted out for the draw thanks to a maiden century from Ben Wright and 67 not out from Qundeel Haider on his Championship debut. 

Wright finished unbeaten on 123 with Haider, who batted for almost three-and-a-half hours, helping him add 188 for the second wicket. 

Bedfordshire made it two wins from two games in Eastern Division One with a four wickets success over Northumberland at Bedford School. 

John Oswell (66) prolonged Northumberland’s resistance but with Essex seamer Jamal Richards and former Leicestershire seamer Alex Evans sharing six wickets between them, they were eventually dismissed for 266. 

That left Bedfordshire with a potentially tricky last day chase of 191 but they got home with plenty of time to spare thanks to an unbeaten century from Sam Bates. 

Bates, who was released by Leicestershire last year, struck 13 fours and faced 154 balls with Richards completing an encouraging National Counties debut by making 46 in a fourth wicket partnership of 93. 

Beard’s Essex team-mate Aaron Beard also impressed on his debut for Hertfordshire as he followed up three wickets in Cumbria’s first innings with a rapid half-century at Bishop’s Stortford 

Beard struck two sixes and six fours in his 54 from 50 balls and shared a fourth wicket partnership of 86 for the fourth wicket with David Burnell (58). 

Hertfordshire declared at tea-time but with so much time lost to rain on the first two days a draw was almost inevitable. 

Cumbria, who were set 252 to win, were 100 for three with Ben Walkden unbeaten on 55 when the sides shook hands. 

Cornwall became the first Western Division side to win this season, beating Shropshire by five wickets at Bridgnorth in Division Two. 

Having committed themselves to bowling out Shropshire for a second time, Cornwall were frustrated by a half-century from Oxford University opener George Hargrave (77) then by stubborn cameos from Andre Bradford, Peter Clark and Tim Maxfield. 

At 200 for five Shropshire appeared to be battling their way towards safety but they lost their last three wickets without addition in seven balls and were dismissed for 258. 

Seamer Tommy Sturgess (four for 54) and off-spinner Ellis Whiteford (three for 49) were the men who did the damage which left Cornwall a target of 148. 

Sturgess then played a decisive role with the bat, striking 36 not out from just 17 balls with three sixes, to see Cornwall to their target inside 23 overs. 

Will MacVicar followed up his first innings century with a quickfire 39 from 31 balls – also with three sixes – to help Cornwall to a maximum points win. 

Wales NC captain Cameron Herring was in the runs again following up his first innings century with 73 not out – which gave him a match aggregate of 244 without being dismissed – in the draw against Wiltshire at Corsham. 

Solid batting down the order from Steffan Roberts (53), Brad Wadlan (44), Will Ryan (42) and Tim Moses (39) took Wales to their declaration at 295 for eight. Off-spinner Joe King (four for 93) took half of the wickets. 

Wiltshire were set a notional 347 for victory and were happy to bat out time for the draw, closing on for 157 for three with Jack Mynott (49) and Jack Stearman (40 not out) again their main contributors. 

Defending champions Berkshire were frustrated by Oxfordshire’s George Tait as the 2021 Championship winners held out for a tense draw at Thame in Western Division One. 

Having drawn their opening match against Devon Berkshire captain Dan Lincoln opened up another rain-affected contest by declaring their second innings at 177 for five which set Oxfordshire a target of 227. 

Tait followed up his career-best 83 in Oxfordshire’s first innings with 77 from 64 balls and with support from Jared Warner, the Gloucestershire seamer, they got Oxfordshire to within 18 of their target. 

But Warner and Tait perished in quick succession trying to clear the ropes and the ninth wicket pair of Callum Russell and Max Mannering were happy to play out the final over for the draw with Oxfordshire on 211 for eight. 

The other Western Division One match between Cheshire and Herefordshire was abandoned without a ball being bowled, the fourth complete washout at Alderley Edge since 1998. 

With rain badly affecting the Western Division so far this season the first four matches in the top flight have all failed to produce a positive result. 

Durant Cricket National Counties Championship 

Final day of three 

Eastern Division One 

Sleaford: Lincolnshire 194 (Ben Wright 58) & 216-1 (Ben Wright 123 not out, Qundeel Haider 67 not out), Suffolk 349-7 dec (George Rhodes 172, Ben Parker 65, Josh Cantrell 52, Mark Footitt 5-112). Lincolnshire (8pts) drew with Suffolk (12pts).

West Bromwich Dartmouth: Staffordshire 206 (Matthew Morris 71) & 232 (Nils Priestley 70, Liam Hurt 52, Conner Haddow 6-97), Buckinghamshire 330-8 dec (Michael Payne 86, Alex Woodland 65) & 114-2 (Alexei Kervezee 59 not out). Buckinghamshire (24pts) beat Staffordshire (4pts) by eight wickets.

Western Division One 

Alderley Edge: Cheshire v Herefordshire. Match abandoned. Cheshire 8pts Herefordshire 8pts. 

Thame: Berkshire 314 (Dan Lincoln 80) & 177-5 dec, Oxfordshire 265 (George Tait 83) & 211-8 (George Tait 77). Oxfordshire (10pts) drew with Berkshire (11pts)

Eastern Division One 

Bedford School: Northumberland 128 (Jamal Richards 6-23) & 266 (Ross Whitfield 104, John Oswell 66). Bedfordshire 204 (Fayaz Homyoon 54, Oli McGee 5-70) & 194-6 (Sam Bates 100 not out). Bedfordshire (21pts) beat Northumberland (4pts) by four wickets.

Bishop’s Stortford: Hertfordshire 158 & 272-6 dec (David Burnell 58, Aaron Beard 54), Cumbria 179 (JJ Fielding 53) & 100-3 (Ben Walkden 55 not out). Hertfordshire (8pts) drew with Cumbria (9pts).

Western Division Two 

Bridgnorth: Shropshire 316 (Ollie Westbury 85, Tom Fell 55, Tim Maxfield 53) & 258 (George Hargrave 77), Cornwall 427 (Will MacVicar 116, Alex Blake 73 ,Paul Smith 66) & 148-5. Cornwall (24pts) beat Shropshire (7pts) by five wickets.   

Corsham: Wales NC 408-9 (Cameron Herring 171 not out) & 295-8 dec (Cameron Herring 73 not out , Steffan Roberts 53), Wiltshire 357 (Jack Mynott 83, Jack Stearman 58) & 157-3. Wiltshire (12pts) drew with Wales NC (12pts).