Durant Cricket NCCA Championship: Week 3 - Preview

Cheshire will face the first of back-to-back matches against Berkshire when the sides meet in a Durant Cricket National Counties Championship Western Division One match at Nantwich starting on Sunday July 28.

The sides will face each other again at Alderley Edge in the semi-finals of the National Counties Trophy seven days later but Cheshire’s immediate concern is how to transfer their 50 overs form into three-day cricket.

Having topped their group and then beaten Devon by 110 runs in their Trophy quarter-final, Cheshire then claimed Derbyshire’s scalp with a four wickets win in their Showcase Match at Nantwich last Sunday, despite fielding an inexperienced side.

But Cheshire return to Nantwich having suffered an innings and 197 runs defeat – the third heaviest in their history – against Oxfordshire in their Championship opener at Thame two weeks ago.

Berkshire head to Nantwich as the only county to have won twice this season having beaten Devon and Cornwall – and the weather – but with painful memories of their last visit to Whitehouse Road two years ago when they went down by 253 runs.

Experienced slow left-armer Luke Beaven will make his seasonal debut for Berkshire having recovered from a badly broken finger – an injury he sustained at work.

Beaven is one of six survivors from the side beaten at Nantwich two years ago but Euan Woods missing out having broken a finger fielding for NCCA Challengers in their victory over Hampshire on Wednesday.

Rhys Lewis is also ruled out by an abductor injury which he sustained while batting in Tuesday’s Showcase match against Sussex.

James Idsell, a 17-year-old product of Berkshire’s age group system but now on Middlesex’s academy, will make his senior debut with Adam Searle recalled and Exeter University’s Samm Daniel again included in the squad.

Cornwall host Devon in the other Western Division One match at Truro and have recalled Redruth spinner Ellis Whiteford and Helston batter Billy Taylor in place of Adam Hodgson and Gloucestershire’s Joe Phillips.

Devon call up batter Harry Southgate for his senior debut after impressing for their Lions team with Sam Elstone, who played in the Showcase match against Somerset, set for his first Championship appearance.

Seamer Matt Skeemer comes into the squad which also includes slow left-armer Max Shepherd, who was twelfth man against Berkshire.

There has yet to be a winner in Eastern Division One with all four matches drawn, mainly due to rain blighting the opening round of games.

Buckinghamshire, the defending divisional and national champions, sit out this weekend’s round of matches which will give the opportunity for the other four counties to take advantage as the Championship season reaches its halfway point.

Staffordshire travel to Cleethorpes to face Lincolnshire without batter Zen Malik who is set to sign his first professional contract with a first-class county.

The former Worcestershire Academy player has made centuries for six different county Second XIs in since 2016, including three for Glamorgan this season – two of them in the same match against Warwickshire.

Malik has also scored four Championship centuries for Staffordshire since he made his debut in 2018 and is now considering contract offers from both Glamorgan and Warwickshire.

Staffordshire have included Michael Hill, Reeve Evitts and Sam Atkinson in their 12-man squad along with Lewis Moulton who could make his senior debut alongside his brother Tom.

Nic Keast will make his first Championship appearance in two years for Lincolnshire and Tom Currie his competition debut.

Batter/left-arm spinner Joe Pocklington returns after missing the draw with Bedfordshire but left-arm quick Mark Footitt is again ruled out.

Batter Sam Evans, whose century secured victory over Nottinghamshire in last Sunday’s Showcase match, is involved in Metro Bank Cup duty with Leicestershire this weekend.

Suffolk host Bedfordshire at Bury St Edmunds without injured seamers Matt Wareing (hamstring) and Dan Shanks (back).

Freddie Cloud, an 18-year-old from Felixstowe Corinthians and St Joseph’s College, and Mildenhall’s Jonah Handy will make their senior debuts having impressed for Suffolk’s Second XI this season.

Northumberland have included batter Yash Vagadia, who has just signed a two-year contract extension with Yorkshire, in their squad for the Eastern Division Two match against Norfolk at Jesmond.

Vagadia made his Northumberland debut in last weekend’s Showcase match against Durham and is now set for his first Championship appearance in a much-changed side.

Oli McGee, who will captain Northumberland on Sunday, Seb Allison, Ali Appleby and Nikhil Gorantla are all recalled.

Nottinghamshire batter Sammy King will make his first appearance of the season for Norfolk, replacing the unavailable Drew Beazleigh in the one change to the side that drew with Hertfordshire.

Cumbria have included Netherfield seamer Josh Wills in their squad for a possible debut at his home club againstHertfordshire.

Former Yorkshire batter Will Fraine and Cockermouth’s Josh Brown are Championship debutants in Cumbria’s first match in the competition at Netherfield since 2019.

Hertfordshire give a debut to Harpenden batter Scott Galloway and have recalled batter David Burnell and slow left-armer Troy Henry.

Wales NC return to Ebbw Vale for the first time in 13 years with Dorset the visitors for a Western Division Two match.

Slow left-armer Romano Franco will make his Championship debut for Wales in place of leg-spinner Alex Russell, who is required by Northamptonshire this weekend.

Dorset travel without Felix Organ and Joe Eckland who are required by Hampshire for Metro Bank Cup duty.

Luke Webb, Greg Willows, Ben Rogers, Louis Prichard and Matt Burton are all recalled to a much-changed side.

Former Dorset, Hampshire and England Under-19 seamer Herry Petrie has been included in Wiltshire’s squad for his debut against Shropshire at the South Wilts club in Salisbury.

Petrie made one National Counties Trophy appearance for Dorset three years ago while he was on Hampshire’s academy but this will be his Championship debut.

Shropshire welcome back captain Charlie Home, who was unavailable for the draw with Dorset, but are missing George Hargrave and Lewis Evans.

Bridgnorth batter Seb Scott makes his seasonal debut and all-rounder Ollie Currill returns having missed the Showcase game against Yorkshire.

Durant Cricket National Counties Championship

Sunday July 28-Tuesday 30 (11am)

Eastern Division One

Cleethorpes: Lincolnshire v Staffordshire. Bury St Edmunds: Suffolk v Bedfordshire.

Western Division One

Nantwich: Cheshire v Berkshire. Truro: Cornwall v Devon.

Eastern Division Two

Netherfield: Cumbria v Hertfordshire. Jesmond: Northumberland v Norfolk.

Western Division Two

Ebbw Vale: Wales NC v Dorset. South Wilts CC: Wiltshire v Shropshire.