Durant Cricket National Counties Championship: Week 2 Review

Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Cornwall beat the weather in another rain-affected round of Durant Cricket National Counties Championship matches to earn victories. 

Buckinghamshire made it back-to-back wins in Eastern Division One following their promotion by beating Staffordshire by eight wickets at West Bromwich Dartmouth. 

Wicketkeeper Ross Richardson equalled two county records on the first day for most catches – seven – and dismissals in an innings but Buckinghamshire’s win was again based on an excellent all-round team performance. 

Slow left-armer Conner Haddow followed up his ten wickets in the victory over Norfolk with nine more against Staffordshire, six of them in the second innings. 

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.  

Bedfordshire also made it successive wins by beating Northumberland by four wickets at Bedford School in Eastern Division Two. 

Essex seamer Jamal Richards impressed on his National Counties debut by taking six for 23 on the opening day but Northumberland’s acting-captain Oli McGee responded with five wickets of his own. 

A maiden century from Durham staff man Ross Whitefield rescued Northumberland from a sticky start to their second innings and with John Oswell adding a half-century, Bedfordshire had to chase 191. 

They got home thanks to an unbeaten century from former Leicestershire opener Sam Bates with Richards also chipping in with 46. 

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

Will MacVicar’s aggressive maiden century and 73 from Alex Blake, who left the match at tea-time on the second day after he was called up by Kent for their County Championship match against Nottinghamshire, helped Shropshire build a first innings lead of 111. 

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.  

There was also a nerve-jangling finish at Thame where defending champions Berkshire and Oxfordshire eventually had to settle for a draw when they were both in sight of victory. 

After two rain-affected days Berkshire captain Dan Lincoln brought the match to life with a bold declaration on the final day. 

Oxfordshire were set 227 and thanks to George Tait, who followed up his career-best 83 in the first innings with 77, they were in the hunt until he was caught on the long-off boundary. 

It was only then that Oxfordshire settled for the draw, closing on 211 for eight. 

Former Worcestershire and Leicestershire all-rounder George Rhodes made his second century in as many innings but it was not enough to prevent Suffolk from drawing their Eastern Division One match against Lincolnshire at Grantham. 

Rhodes followed up his second innings 148 in the defeat by Staffordshire with a Championship-best 172 in the first innings at Sleaford.  

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.  

Essex all-rounder Aaron Beard made his mark on his debut for Hertfordshire as he followed up three wickets in Cumbria’s first innings with a rapid half-century in the Eastern Division Two match 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 inevitable.  

Wales NC captain Cameron Herring was in the runs, 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 in Western Division Two. 

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.  

Cheshire’s Western Division One match against 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).