Durant Cricket National Counties Championship: Week 5 - Day Two Review

Shropshire off-spinner Joe Stanley returned the best bowling figures in the Durant Cricket National Counties Championship in 11 years in the Western Division Two match against Wiltshire at Whitchurch. 

Stanley, who is a member of the Worcestershire Academy, took nine for 83 in Wiltshire’s first innings, the best by anyone in the competition since Cheshire slow left-armer Danny Woods took nine for 74 against Shropshire at Bridgnorth in 2012. 

Only Andy Gray – another off-spinner – has returned better figures for Shropshire since they entered the Championship in 1957. Gray, who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire and Derbyshire, took nine for 56 against Cornwall at Truro in 2008. 

Stanley, who celebrated his 18^th birthday on Saturday, took seven wickets on the opening day and claimed Wiltshire’s last two at the start of the second, holding a return catch to dismiss Joe King then bowling Josh Croom. 

Despite Stanley’s efforts Wiltshire will go into the final day well placed to end their season with a win that would leave Shropshire bottom of the table. 

A maiden half-century from Matthew Lamb with useful supporting innings from Andre Bradford (46) and Ben Lees (40) should have put Shropshire in a strong position. 

But Shropshire’s tail again failed to wag with their last four wickets going down for just seven runs which left Wiltshire to chase 190. 

Openers Jack Mynott (47 not out) and Dylan Church (23 not out) saw them to 74 without loss at the close. 

The winners of Western Division One will be decided on the last day of the regular season after both Oxfordshire and Devon encountered resistance from Cheshire and Herefordshire respectively. 

Oxfordshire squandered a strong position against Cheshire at Banbury where they slipped from 181 for one then 204 for four to 233 all out which meant that they dropped two batting bonus points which would have taken them ahead of Berkshire at the top of the table. 

Steve Green (four for 47) and David Wainwright (three for 31) caused the damage after Dylan Driscoll had fallen two short of a maiden century. 

Cheshire lost two wickets in clearing their arrears but Henry Dobson (76) and Joe Cooke, with his second half-century of the match, added 142 for the fourth wicket. Cheshire closed on 247 for four and a lead of 184. 

Devon, who need to beat Herefordshire to have any chance of overhauling Oxfordshire and Berkshire, had a better day against Herefordshire at Sidmouth but were still frustrated by a century from the visitors’ opener Ben Chapman-Lilley. 

Chapman-Lilley faced 228 balls before he was run out having completed the second Championship century of his career with Herefordshire’s next-highest score being 35 from acting-captain Nick Hammond. 

Devon still collected maximum bonus points and had a first innings lead of 106 which they extended to 285 for the loss of four second innings wickets but with the in-form Elliot Hamilton unbeaten on 37. 

Bedfordshire closed in on the Eastern Division Two title and promotion to the top-flight next season at the expense of Hertfordshire, their nearest challengers, at Flitwick. 

Slow left-armer Archie Houghton took four for 35 to help dismiss Hertfordshire for 153 with Cole Seggery’s 28 being the best of six double figure scores. 

Bedfordshire then built on a lead of 144 with former Leicestershire opener Sam Bates stroking a Championship-best 103. 

With supporting roles from Fayaz Homyoon (46), Harry Gouldstone (41), George Thurstance (39) and Amrit Basra (32) Bedfordshire were 293 for six at the close. Their lead of 437 is already 20 more than Hertfordshire have ever scored in a fourth innings. 

Bedfordshire’s full hand of bonus points ended Cambridgeshire’s hopes of overtaking them but there was consolation for them in a maiden century for wicketkeeper/batter Dan Andrew against Cumbria at Peterborough. 

Andrew added 128 for the sixth wicket with Callum Guest, who passed 50 for the third time this season, after captain Wayne White had opened the innings with 74. 

Cambridgeshire enjoyed a narrow first innings advantage of 13 and Cumbria ended the day 146 ahead with five wickets down with White removing Michael Slack (51) and Matt Sempill. 

The Eastern Division One relegation place will also be decided on Tuesday with Lincolnshire and Norfolk both scrapping hard to stay up at Cleethorpes. 

Another excellent all-round performance from Ryan Findlay perked up Norfolk with his half-centuy following five wickets on the first day. 

With Ben Wilcox making 60 not out, Norfolk battled their way to 203 all out with Mark Footitt taking four for 56. 

Lincolnshire extended a first innings lead of 114 to 306 thanks to a half-century from Jordan Cook and 40 for captain Tom Keast. Callum Metcalf took four of the six wickets. 

Buckinghamshire wicketkeeper George Harvey narrowly missed out on a century on his debut for Buckinghamshire against Suffolk at Copdock. 

The 17-year-old held four catches in Suffolk’s first innings and made 92 from 157 before he was last out trying to clear long-off. 

Buckinghamshire’s first innings lead was almost wiped out by an opening stand of 111 between Jack Beaumont (64) and 16-year-old Ollie Burle (40) before both fell to slow left-armer Conner Haddow. 

Suffolk will start the final day with a lead of 111 with five wickets remaining although Buckinghamshire have already secured the Eastern Division One title and a place in next month’s final. 

Half centuries from David Scott (87) and Luke Webb (75) helped Dorset secure maximum batting points against Wales NC at Wimborne in Western Division Two. 

Wales, with the insurance of their highest-ever Championship total, enjoyed a healthy lead of 143 which they extended by 121 for the loss of four wickets with Scott accounting for Steffan Roberts and Morgan Bevans just before the close. 

Durant Cricket National Counties Championship  

Second day of three  

Eastern Division One  

Cleethorpes: Lincolnshire 317-8 (Tom Keast 125 not out, Jaden Fell 72, Josh Knapton 53 not out, Ryan Findlay 5-111) & 192-6 (Jordan Cook 64), Norfolk 203 (Ben Wilcox 60 not out, Ryan Findlay 51). 

Copdock: Suffolk 197 (Alex Oxley 50) & 216-5 (Jack Beaumont 64), Buckinghamshire 312 (George Harvey 92, Alexei Kervezee 53).  

Western Division One  

Sidmouth: Devon 377-9 (Elliot Hamilton 154 not out, Ben Privett 57) & 179-4, Herefordshire 271 (Ben Chapman-Lilley 118). 

Banbury: Cheshire 170 (Joe Cooke 96) & 247-4 (Joe Cooke 86 not out, Henry Dobson 76), Oxfordshire 233 (Dylan Driscoll 98, Luke Hayes 57).  

Eastern Division Two  

Flitwick: Bedfordshire 297 (Oli Soames 62, George Thurstance 51, Sam Bates 50, Andrew Neal 5-44), & 293-6 (Sam Bates 103), Hertfordshire 153. 

Peterborough: Cumbria 342-8 (Sam Dutton 104, Matt Sempill 72) & 159-5 (Michael Slack 51), Cambridgeshire 355-7 (Dan Andrew 107, Wayne White 74, Callum Guest 68). 

Western Division Two  

Wimborne: Wales NC 474-8 (Brad Wadlan 134, Kurtis Marsh 81, Milo Ayres 74, Tegid Phillips 52) & 121-4, Dorset 331-9 (David Scott 87, Luke Webb 75). 

Whitchurch: Shropshire 183 & 226 (Matthew Lamb 62) Wiltshire 220 (Dylan Church 69, Joe Stanley 9-83) & 74-0. 

Image Credit: Annie Chave