Durant Cricket National Counties Championship: Week 4 Roundup

Cornwall secured promotion to the top-flight of the Durant Cricket National Counties Championship by securing the Western Division Two title with a draw against Wales NC at Abergavenny. 

Cornwall sit out this weekend’s final round of matches but the nine points they secured were enough to secure top spot and deny Wales and both Wiltshire and Dorset – who also drew at the South Wilts club in Salisbury – the opportunity to overtake them. 

Wales were always in control at Abergavenny where they had a first innings lead of 101 and added 149 more before they declared with player/coach Brad Wadlan following up his first innings century with a half-century. 

Seamer George Pritchard took his first five wicket haul in Cornwall’s first innings after Harry Friend had made a maiden century and Wadlan his tenth in the competition. 

Cornwall were happy to play for the draw which they achieved with comfort thanks to Max Tryfonos (70 not out) and Adam Hodgson (41) who added 85 for the second wicket. 

Who Cornwall will replace in Western Division One has yet to be decided with only Berkshire mathematically safe going into the final round of matches. 

Berkshire completed their divisional programme by beating Herefordshire by 131 runs at Eastnor which gave them their first win of the campaign and a seven points lead at the top of the division. 

But Berkshire now need Cheshire to do them a favour by beating Oxfordshire at Banbury if they are to stay top and progress to next month’s final at West Bromwich Dartmouth. 

Opening batter Jonny Connell and slow left-armer Luke Beaven were Berkshire’s match-winners at Eastnor where they dismissed the hosts for 76, their second-lowest Championship total. Their lowest – 49 – was made against Berkshire at Colwall four years ago. 

Connell followed up his first innings 95 with 94 in more than four hours with Toby Greatwood (35) again joining him in a match-turning partnership. 

They added 92 for the seventh wicket which helped Berkshire recover from 86 for six to 225 all out. 

Herefordshire seamer James Rudge took his second five wicket haul to finish with career-best match figures of ten for 111 but he was soon eclipsed by Beaven who took the new ball. 

Beaven made short work of Herefordshire to finish with career-best figure of seven for 21 and a match haul of 13 for 67, Berkshire’s best against Herefordshire and their best against any county in 70 years. 

Devon improved their chances of staying in the top-flight by beating Cheshire by 34 runs at Chester Boughton Hall where a declaration followed by a forfeiture produced a positive outcome from a rain-affected contest. 

Cheshire’s declaration at 73 for three was immediately followed by Devon’s forfeiture of their second innings which left Cheshire with a target of 351. 

Devon appeared to be coasting home when they reduced Cheshire to 114 for six with seamer Matt Skeemer inflicting the damage on his way to a maiden five wicket haul and final figures of six for 41. 

But a maiden century from Alex Money and 67 not out from captain David Wainwright rebuilt the innings and made Devon wait until deep into the final session before they secured an important win. 

Money and Wainwright added 132 for the seventh wicket with Wainwright and Sam Grant putting on 48 for the last wicket before Grant was taken at slip off slow left-armer Max Shepherd. 

James Horler laid the foundations for Devon’s win by making 165 from 225 balls – an innings that included 20 fours and two sixes – on the opening day. 

Staffordshire went to the top of Eastern Division One with a draw against Lincolnshire at Checkley but they are unlikely to still be there in a week’s time as they have completed their divisional programme and their lead over Buckinghamshire is just four points. 

Slow left-armer Tom Brett took seven wickets on the opening day but the second was totally washed out which left Staffordshire facing an uphill task to force the win they needed. 

Aggressive half-centuries from Michael Hill – who clobbered nine sixes in his 70-ball 95 – captain James Kettleborough and Zen Malik took Staffordshire to maximum batting points. 

Kettleborough’s immediate declaration was calculated to give his bowlers time to dismiss Lincolnshire cheaply and it almost worked. 

Four wickets from former Lancashire seamer Liam Hurt helped to reduce Lincolnshire to 88 for eight before Joe Pocklington dropped anchor for 38 not out in almost two hours. 

Staffordshire called off the hunt with Lincolnshire on 117 for eight after 50 testing overs. 

Lincolnshire now host Norfolk at Cleethorpes which will determine who will drop into Eastern Division Two next season while the Eastern Division champions are likely to be crowned at Copdock where Suffolk host Buckinghamshire. 

Buckinghamshire require just four points to finish top but Suffolk require a maximum points win to have any chance of leapfrogging Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire. 

Suffolk kept in the hunt for a place in the final by beating Norfolk by 13 runs in a tense East Anglia derby at Horsford. 

Suffolk failed to capitalise on an opening partnership of 98 between Jack Beaumont (62) and Ollie Burle (44) at the start of their second innings and lost their last eight wickets for 27 in 14 overs with seamer Brett Stolworthy taking his second five wicket haul of the Horsford Festival. 

The collapse left Norfolk with a target of 180 and they appeared to be heading for victory when former Leicestershire wicketkeeper/batter Tom New (53) and Hudson de Lucchi (22) took them to 105 for three. 

But that quickly became 128 for seven and despite the best efforts of Ryan Findlay – who took a career-best five for 57 in Suffolk’s first innings - Norfolk fell short with Josh Cantrell taking four for 37 and George Rhodes three for 33. 

Hertfordshire set up a potential Eastern Division Two promotion shoot-out with Bedfordshire by beating Cambridgeshire by 63 runs at Hertford. 

Dominic Chatfield dominated the opening day but it was David Burnell’s second half-century of the match that set up Hertfordshire’s declaration which challenged Cambridgeshire to chase 335. 

With left-arm seamer Chinmay Mullapudi removing four of the top five, Cambridgeshire were struggling at 109 for five but Ben Clilverd revived the chase with 47 from 46 balls. 

When Clilverd departed, caught behind off Andrew Neal, it was left to Callum Guest to try to deny Hertfordshire and he almost did so with 77 in three hours before he was last out deep into the final hour, LBW to Ben Waring. 

Despite their defeat Cambridgeshire will go into their final match against Cumbria at Peterborough only 16 points adrift of Bedfordshire and two behind Hertfordshire. 

Northumberland ended their season on a high note with a five wickets win over Cumbria at Carlisle thanks to an explosive innings from John Oswell. 

He followed up his first innings 71 with 78 from just 36 balls with seven sixes to sweep Northumberland to a target of 141 in just 16.1 overs. 

Oswell and Nikhil Gorantla (37) set up the chase with second wicket partnership of 94 in nine overs which left Cumbria captain Michael Slack to rue his declaration after his side had spent most of the day clearing their first innings arrears of 92. 

Sam Dutton’s unbeaten century did most to put Cumbria back in credit only for his hard work to be undone in a dramatic final hour. 

There was a maiden century for Wiltshire opener Dylan Church against Dorset before the sides shook hands at South Wilts having tried hard to conjure a positive outcome to a rain-hit match. 

A tame draw appeared inevitable until Wiltshire declared their first innings 133 behind and then used Tom Cullen and Jack Stearman, who had never bowled in the competition before, to serve up seven overs of declaration bowling. 

Dorset helped themselves to 118 for two in that time before they declared and challenged Wiltshire to chase 252. 

An opening stand of 87 between Church and Jack Mynott (43) but the loss of three wickets for six runs to Ed Bartlett de-railed the chase. 

Church completed his century from 138 balls in an unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 101 with Jake Goodwin. 

On the first day Dorset’s former Somerset batter Sam Young followed up his double century against Shropshire with 177 in a fourth wicket partnership of 204 with Alex Eckland. 

Durant Cricket National Counties Championship 

Eastern Division One 

Horsford: Suffolk 209 (Jack Beaumont 89, George Rhodes 50, Ryan Findlay 5-57) & 156 (Jack Beaumont 62, Brett Stolworthy 5-47), Norfolk 186 (Ryan Findlay 67) & 166 (Tom New 53). Suffolk (21pts) beat Norfolk (5pts) by 13 runs.

Checkley: Lincolnshire 281 (Tom Keast 93, Ben Wright 50, Tom Brett 7-93) & 117-8, Staffordshire 325-7 dec (Michael Hill 95, James Kettleborough 74, Zen Malik 67). Staffordshire (12pts) drew with Lincolnshire (10pts). 

Western Division One  

Chester Boughton Hall: Devon 423-9 (James Horler 165, Steve Green 5-99) & second innings forfeited, Cheshire 73-3 dec & 316 (Alex Money 102, David Wainwright 67 not out, Matt Skeemer 6-41). Devon (21pts) beat Cheshire (4pts) by 34 runs.

Eastnor: Berkshire 210 (Johnny Connell 95, James Rudge 5-57) & 225 (Johnny Connell 94, James Rudge 5-54), Herefordshire 228 (Ben Chapman-Lilley 91, Luke Beaven 6-46) & 76 (Luke Beaven 7-21). Berkshire (21pts) beat Herefordshire (6pts) by 131 runs. 

Eastern Division Two 

Carlisle: Cumbria 169 (Freddie Fallows 51, Oli McGee 5-59) & 232-6 dec (Sam Dutton 106 not out), Northumberland 261 (John Oswell 71, Michael Slack 5-61) & 141-5 (John Oswell 78). Northumberland (22pts) beat Cumbria (4pts) by five wickets.

Hertford: Hertfordshire 365-5 (Dominic Chatfield 132, David Burnell 97, Arjun Patel 66 not out) & 291-5 dec (Jamie Southgate 57, David Burnell 54, James Latham 53), Cambridgeshire 321-9 (Will Routledge 68, Dan Andrew 56, Ben Clilverd 53 not out, Andrew Neal 5-92) & 272 (Callum Guest 77). Hertfordshire (24pts) beat Cambridgeshire (5pts) by 63 runs. 

Western Division Two 

Abergavenny: Wales NC 352-7 (Harry Friend 120, Brad Wadlan 102) & 149-4 dec (Brad Wadlan 56 not out), Cornwall 251 (Tommy Sturgess 61, George Pritchard 5-56) & 145-3 (Max Tryfonos 70 not out). Wales NC (12pts) drew with Cornwall (9pts).

South Wilts CC: Dorset 391-9 dec (Sam Young 177, Alex Eckland 96) & 118-2 dec (Jacob Gordon 66 not out), Wiltshire 258-7 dec (Harry Broderick 56 not out) & 223-4 (Dylan Church 102 not out, Jake Goodwin 61 not out). Wiltshire (10pts) drew with Dorset (11pts).