NATIONAL COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP DAY ONE REVIEW - WEEK 4

Devon piled up the second highest total in their history on a day when batters made runs in the sun in the National Counties Championship. 

Devon’s 503 for five against Shropshire at Bridgnorth in Western Division Two was their highest total in 120 years and has only been bettered by the county record 533 for seven they made against Dorset at Sherborne School in 1902. 

The total included a Devon record third wicket partnership of 289 between James Horler (174) and Elliot Hamilton (137), both of whom compiled maiden centuries. 

Shropshire lost Andre Bradford to the first ball of their reply but Oxford University batter George Hargrave nursed them through to the close on 71 for two. 

There were career bests for Wiltshire’s eighth wicket pair Toby Kershaw and Josh Croom against Cornwall at the South Wilts club in Salisbury. 

Kershaw made 94 on his competitive debut and Croom, who went into the match with an aggregate of 24 runs in his previous innings in the competition, making 95. 

They shared a partnership of 183 which rescued Wiltshire after they had slipped from 77 without loss to 138 for seven. 

Thanks to Kershaw and Croom, Wiltshire recovered to 346 all out with Tom Dinnis and Dan Lello sharing six wickets between them. 

Cheshire captain Rob Sehmi returned from a broken finger with a century against Berkshire at Nantwich in Western Division One but his innings was overshadowed by a brutal assault by Andrew Jackson who clubbed 12 sixes in his 70-ball 93. 

Jackson capitalised on the short straight boundaries and lifted off-spinner Euan Woods and slow left-armer Rhodri Lewis for five sixes each, including three in a row from one Woods over. 

David Wainwright played a valuable supporting role with 89 not out in partnerships of 96 for the sixth wicket with Sehmi and 143 for the seventh with Jackson. 

On a hot day of hard toil for the bowlers, Berkshire seamer Tom Nugent kept running in strongly and finished with four of Cheshire’s eight wickets. 

Western Division One leaders Oxfordshire made 326 for nine against Dorset at Banbury thanks to 71 from captain Jonny Cater and useful contributions from Jamie Harrison (41) and Harry Smith (55) and a breezy 46 from George Tait.  

Oxfordshire were kept honest by seamer David Scott who took five for 115 in 38 overs but Dorset slipped to 51 for four at the start of their second innings. 

Michael Hill became the first Staffordshire batter to score three centuries in successive Championship innings against Suffolk at Checkley in Eastern Division One. 

Left-hander Hill followed up centuries in each innings in the draw with Lincolnshire last month with 152 - one short of equalling his career-best - an innings that included 11 sixes and his tenth century in the Championship. 

Hill shared a third wicket partnership of 253 with Zen Malik, who made 145 from 217 balls, to take Staffordshire to 423 for five. 

Opener Tom Moulton made 63 before the stage was cleared for Hill and Malik. 

Bedfordshire made an excellent start to their match against Norfolk at Manor Park with solid batting down the order taking them to 393 for eight. 

Leicestershire opener Sam Bates made 69 on his National Counties debut and shared a first wicket stand of 119 with Fayaz Homyoon (51). 

Their good work was continued by James Kettleborough (64), Amrit Basra (70) and valuable contributions from captain George Thurstance (36), Matt Taylor (44) and George Darlow (37). 

Cumbria slow left-armer Matt Siddall narrowly missed out on his seventh successive five wicket haul as Hertfordshire shared the first day honours at Furness in Eastern Division Two. 

Siddall took four for 99 from 23.4 overs and has now taken 39 Championship wickets this season. 

Hertfordshire were 139 for eight at one stage but recovered to 267 all out thanks to a ninth wicket stand of 123 between former Essex batter Kishen Velani and Ben Waring. 

Velani made 134, his first National Counties century, before he was last out. Waring kept Velani company for an hour-and-a-half for his 98-ball 44. 

Waring’s work was not finished and he ended the day by taking two for 22 in 18 overs of left-arm spin as Cumbria closed on 107 for four. 

Buckinghamshire opener Michael Wells made his maiden National Counties century which dominated proceedings againstNorthumberland at Jesmond. 

The Buckingham Town player had scored only 114 runs in his previous six innings in the competition but he more than doubled his aggregate by piling up 179 not out. 

Wells batted for more than six-and-a-quarter hours and was well supported by Michael Payne (64) which took Buckinghamshire to 352 for nine and maximum batting points which will take them ahead of Cambridgeshire in the table. 

Buckinghamshire had Northumberland in trouble at 40 for four by the close. 

National Counties Championship 

(First day of three) 

Eastern Division One 

Manor Park: Bedfordshire 393-8 (Amrit Basra 70, Sam Bates 69, James Kettleborough 64, Fayaz Homyoon 51), Norfolk 59-1. 

Checkley: Staffordshire 423-5 (Michael Hill 152, Zen Malik 145), Suffolk 43-0. 

Western Division One 

Nantwich: Cheshire 451-8 (Rob Sehmi 108, Andrew Jackson 93, David Wainwright 89 not out), Berkshire 58-0. 

Banbury: Oxfordshire 326-9 (Jonny Cater 71, Harry Smith 55, David Scott 5-115), Dorset 51-4. 

Eastern Division Two 

Furness: Hertfordshire 267 (Kishen Velani 134), Cumbria 107-4. 

Jesmond: Buckinghamshire 362-9 (Michael Wells 179 not out, Michael Payne 64), Northumberland 40-4. 

Western Division Two 

Bridgnorth: Devon 503-5 (James Horler 174, Elliot Hamilton 137), Shropshire 71-2. 

South Wilts CC: Wiltshire 346 (Josh Croom 95, Toby Kershaw 94), Cornwall 47-1.