Durant Cricket NCCA Championship: Week 2 - Review

Oxfordshire routed Cheshire to record the biggest innings win in their history to stay on the trail of Berkshire, the Western Division One pacesetters in the Durant Cricket National Counties Championship.

Cheshire, who were dismissed for 119 in their first innings at Thame, folded for 108 second time with left-arm spinner Tom Hinley taking his first five wicket haul in the competition.

Cheshire batted a man light in their second innings with debutant Zac Perren absent, but it made little difference to the outcome as Oxfordshire wrapped up victory by an innings and 197 runs before lunch on the final day.

The last five wickets went down for 20 runs but it was not quite a record defeat for Cheshire having lost to Yorkshire Second XI by an innings and more than 200 runs in 1909 and again in 1947.

Surprisingly there were no further dismissals for Oxfordshire’s debutant wicketkeeper Ethan Litvin to add to his county record seven in Cheshire’s first innings.

Berkshire also won by an innings but encountered stiffer second innings resistance from Cornwall at Wargrave.

A half-century from Will MacVicar with supporting stubborn innings from Jake Rowe (34) and Alex Bone (21) kept Berkshire in the field for almost 99 overs.

But Berkshire were not to be denied with Andy Rishton following up his career-best seven wicket haul in the first innings with five more in the second to finish with a match return of 12 for 92 – also his competition best.

It was Rishton who eventually broke MacVicar’s resistance when he was last out which sealed victory by an innings and 111 runs, Berkshire’s second successive win.

Cambridgeshire were the only other winners in another rain-affected round of matches as they edged out Cumbria by 24 runs in a low-scoring Eastern Division Two thriller at Kendal.

Cumbria gained a first innings lead of 32 thanks to a maiden century from opener Evan Williams who had mustered only 117 runs in his previous eight innings in the competition.

Cambridgeshire then slumped to 118 all out in their second innings against the left-arm spin of Freddie Fallows, who claimed his Championship-best figures of six for 32.

That left Cumbria to chase just 87 for victory but they were shot out for 62 in 13 overs by the pace of James Cox – with a competition-best seven for 26 – and the left-arm spin of James Sykes (three for 34).

Cox finished the match in spectacular fashion by taking the last three wickets – Ed Moulton, Sam Sharp and Josh Stirling – in four balls.

Defending champions Buckinghamshire drew with Suffolk in Eastern Division One at Tring where a combination of bad weather and a maiden century from their former Wales NC batter Cameron Hemp averted the threat of defeat.

Darren Ironside’s half-century helped Suffolk to their declaration at 227 for seven which challenge Buckinghamshire to make an improbable 388 for victory.

Hemp and Michael Wells added 96 for the first wicket before a rain break took more time out of the game. When the players returned Hemp, the son of former Glamorgan and Warwickshire batter David, completed his century from 109 balls before the sides shook hands on the draw.

Hemp’s previous 11 innings in the Championship had yielded just 125 runs.

Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire also had to settle for a draw at Dunstable where the respective captains, George Thurstance and Tom Keast, were again in the runs.

Thurstance followed his first innings century with 63 which, with handy contributions from Jake Tarling (57) and Archie Houghton (42) set up the declaration at 264 for eight.

Lincolnshire, who were set 371, were wobbling at 119 for four but Keast, with his second half-century of the match, and Jordan Cook (50) steered them away from trouble with a fifth wicket partnership of 93.

Herefordshire briefly scented victory in their rain-blighted Western Division Two match against Wales NC at Eastnor.

Seamer Roshan Venkataraman followed up his five wickets in the first innings with four quick ones at the start of Wales’ second.

But Steffan Roberts (42 not out) and captain Cameron Herring (41 not out) steered Wales from 48 for four to 125 for four.

Earlier James Rudge had completed an attacking maiden 50 for Herefordshire which helped them secure a first innings lead of 27.

Dorset and Wiltshire had to settle for a battle for bonus points following Monday’s washout at Wimborne.

Career-bests from Chris Aubrey (70) and Will Naish (53 not out) – his maiden half-century – gave excellent support to Jake Goodwin’s 83.

Wiltshire, who were 65 for five at one stage, recovered to 298 for seven with Goodwin and Aubrey adding 134 for the sixth wicket and Naish and Will Brown (30 not out) a further 75 from 41 balls in an entertaining and unbroken eighth wicket stand.

Jacob Gordon made an undefeated half-century in an opening partnership of 92 with Will Tripcony at the end of the match.

There was no play at Bishop’s Stortford in the Eastern Division Two match between Hertfordshire and Norfolk with overnight rain forcing an early abandonment.

National Counties Championship

Final day of three

Eastern Division One

Dunstable: Bedfordshire 393 (Sam Kelsall 155, George Thurstance 153) & 264-8 dec (George Thurstance 63, Jake Tarling 57), Lincolnshire 287 (Ben Wright 96, Tom Keast 76, Alex Evans 4-71, Jack Fuller 4-91) & 228-6 (Tom Keast 88, Jordan Cook 50). Bedfordshire (12pts) drew with Lincolnshire (11pts).

Tring: Suffolk 297 (Alex Oxley 92, George Rhodes 87, Conner Haddow 4-90) & 227-7 dec (Darren Ironside 88, Conner Haddow 4-70), Buckinghamshire 137 (Alexei Kervezee 60, Tom Harper 4-27) & 150-1 (Cameron Hemp 103 not out). Buckinghamshire (8pts) drew with Suffolk (11pts).

Western Division One

Wargrave: Berkshire 439-7 (Johnny Connell 130, Dan Lincoln 88 not out, Charlie Dunnett 77) Cornwall 124 (Andy Rishton 7-55) & 204 (Will MacVicar 68, Andy Rishton 5-37). Berkshire (24pts) beat Cornwall (3pts) by an innings and 111 runs.

Thame: Cheshire 119 & 108 (Tom Hinley 5-25), Oxfordshire 424-8 dec (George Tait 80, Hayden Rossouw 72, Luke Hayes 67, Ethan Litvin 56, George Valentine 4-87). Oxfordshire (24pts) beat Cheshire (3pts) by an innings and 197 runs.

Eastern Division Two

Kendal: Cambridgeshire 156 (Wayne White 87, Sam Sharp 5-48) & 118 (Freddie Fallows 6-32), Cumbria 188 (Evan Williams 114, Callum Guest 4-52) & 62. Cambridgeshire (20pts) beat Cumbria (5pts) by 24 runs.

Bishop’s Stortford: Hertfordshire 352-5 (Dominic Chatfield 158 not out, Andrew Neal 137) & 91-2 (Archie Harrison 55 not out),Norfolk 307 (Sam Arthurton 91, Ethan Metcalf 61, Charlie Hood 53 not out, Ben Waring 4-81). No play Tuesday – rain. Hertfordshire (12pts) drew with Norfolk (9pts).

Western Division Two

Wimborne: Dorset 261-9 dec (Joe Eckland 121, Will Tripcony 53) & 92-0 (Jacob Gordon 64 not out), Wiltshire 298-7 (Jake Goodwin 83, Chris Aubrey 70, Will Naish 53 not out). Dorset (9pts) drew with Wiltshire (11pts)

Eastnor: Wales NC 248 (Brad Wadlan 99, Roshan Venkataraman 5-42, Taylor Cornall 4-54) & 125-4. Herefordshire 275-9 dec (Ben Chapman-Lilley 69, James Rudge 60, Richard Edwards 5-69). Herefordshire (11pts) drew with Wales NC (10pts).