NATIONAL COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP DAY THREE REVIEW - WEEK 5

Lincolnshire and Berkshire will meet in the National Counties Championship at West Bromwich Dartmouth from September 4 to 7 having finished top of their respective divisions in contrasting fashion on the last day of the regular season.

While Berkshire eased to an innings and 20 runs victory over Herefordshire before lunch at the Falkland club in Newbury, Lincolnshire had to fight a day-long rear-guard action to deny Norfolk victory at Manor Park.

Having gone into the final round of matches facing the prospect of relegation, Norfolk started the final day as favourites to win Eastern Division One.

They had all day to take nine Lincolnshire wickets but were thwarted by dogged innings from Tom Keast, who batted four-and-a-half hours for his 92, and Ben Wright (78) who added 131 for the fifth wicket.

Jaden Fell (31) and Jack Timby (43) also played their part in frustrating Norfolk, who used eight bowlers in an attempt to break Lincolnshire’s resistance. Seamer Andy Hanby took two second innings wickets to finish with his maiden ten wicket match haul – ten for 120.

There were some anxious moments late in the day when Wright and Nic Keast fell in successive balls which left James Dobson and Mark Footitt to survive for 47 balls, of which they faced 46.

Lincolnshire, who were beaten by Berkshire in three consecutive finals between 2016 and 2018, finished on 304 for eight from one ball short of 127 overs.

A win would have seen Norfolk draw level with Lincolnshire on 59 points but they would gone through to the final by virtue of their victory in the head-to-head between the teams. Instead Norfolk finished fourth, eight points clear of relegated Bedfordshire.

It was more straightforward for Berkshire who remain on course for their fifth title in six seasons

Having suffered a heavy defeat against Cheshire last week, Berkshire went into the final round second in the table but with the advantage of knowing exactly what they needed to do to overtake Oxfordshire who sat out the final round of matches.

Berkshire produced a ruthlessly efficient performance to wrap up victory with more than two sessions to spare with Herefordshire losing their last four wickets for three runs.

Slow left-armer Luke Beaven (five for 57) and off-spinner Max Uttley (four for 25) exploited a turning pitch to run through Herefordshire with only Roshan Venkataraman (49 not out) offering any prolonged resistance.

Suffolk retained their Eastern Division One status and condemned Bedfordshire to an immediate return to Division Two with a  runs win at Flitwick.

Having lost their first two matches, Suffolk ended the season strongly with consecutive wins with off-spinner Josh Cantrell taking a career-best six for 45 in 34 miserly overs.

Nightwatchman Alex Evans extended his shift into the morning session by making 52 for Bedfordshire but after he departed, caught behind off Cantrell, Fayaz Homyoon and Charlie Thurston soon followed.

James Kettleborough (45) and captain George Thurstance offered further resistance but after they fell, both to Cantrell, Suffolk soon wrapped up victory.

Despite their defeat at Falkland, Herefordshire kept their place in Western Division One with Dorset suffering relegation after they drew with Cheshire in a rain-affected contest at Wimborne.

A maiden century in only his second Championship match from all-rounder David Scott helped Dorset to reach 357 for nine declared in an innings that spanned three days.

But by that time there was no chance of them being able to manoeuvre themselves into position from which they could win, which they needed to do to overtake Herefordshire.

Instead, Cheshire were happy to bat out time for a draw which also secured their place in the top flight next season.

Henry Dobson and Rob Sehmi shared a third wicket partnership of 101 and the sides shook hands with Cheshire 183 for four in their second innings.

Devon will take Dorset’s place after they won Western Division Two by beating Wiltshire by 78 runs at Sidmouth.

Gloucestershire Academy slow left-armer Max Shepherd followed up his five wickets in the first innings with eight for 40 to dismiss Wiltshire for 99.

Shepherd finished with match figures of 13 for 72 with only Wiltshire captain Ed Young (34) resisting for long.

Devon’s win ended the promotion hopes of Wales NC who drew with Cornwall at Truro.

Cornwall recovered from 62 for five to 226 all out in their first innings after Monday’s washout with Ellis Whiteford making an unbeaten half-century and Paul Smith (47) and Dan Lello (35) also making valuable runs down the order.

Cameron Herring and George Pritchard made half-centuries in Wales’ second innings with Cornwall slow left-armer Andrew Libby taking four for 84 to finish with match figures of ten for 165.

Cornwall’s ten-point haul against Wales enabled them to move off the foot of the table, leaving Shropshire as Western Division wooden spoonists.

Buckinghamshire won Eastern Division Two by a whopping margin of 42 points and clinched promotion by beating Cambridgeshire, their closest challengers, by 299 runs at Tring Park.

Buckinghamshire encountered early resistance from Callum Guest (80) and Lee Thomason (49) in a fifth wicket partnership of 101.

But there was little of substance either side of it, with the next-highest score between 17, and the last five wickets went down for 31.

Slow left-armer Conner Haddow took four for 83 and finished with match figures of ten for 123.

Hertfordshire and Northumberland fought a tense and high-scoring draw at Hertford where the visitors finished 37 short of a victory target of 315 with eight wickets down.

Hertfordshire lost their last eight wickets for 39 with slow left-armer Oli McGee taking four for 106 before Jack Jessop and Dan Shurben launched the chase with an opening partnership of 126 in 34 overs.

Player/coach Shurben compiled his second half-century of the match but the chase faltered after Jessop was caught behind for 90, leaving the ninth wicket pair of Fin McCreath and McGee to survive 34 balls to secure the draw.

National Counties Championship  

(Final day of three) 

Eastern Division One 

Flitwick: Suffolk 378-4 (Darren Ironside 152, George Rhodes 148) & 237-3 dec (Darren Ironside 76, Alex Oxley 72, George Rhodes 57 not out), Bedfordshire 256 (George Thurstance 75, George Rhodes 5-36) & 223 (Alex Evans 52, Josh Cantrell 6-45). Suffolk (24pts) beat Bedfordshire (3pts) by 136 runs.

Manor Park: Norfolk 358-7 (Alfie Cooper 125, Freddie Fairey 61) & 238-8 dec (Alfie Cooper 80), Lincolnshire 184 (Sam Evans 82 not out, Andy Hanby 8-53) & 304-8 (Tom Keast 92, Ben Wright 78). Norfolk (12pts) drew with Lincolnshire (8pts)

Western Division One 

Falkland: Herefordshire 192 & 162 (Luke Beaven 5-57), Berkshire 374-9 (Imran Malik 73, Charlie Dunnett 67, Andy Rishton 50). Berkshire (24pts) beat Herefordshire (5pts) by an innings and 20 runs.

Wimborne: Cheshire 385-8 (Nick Anderson 88 not out, Rob Sehmi 73, Ali Chughtai 64) & 183-4 (Henry Dobson 87, Rob Sehmi 60), Dorset 357-9 dec (Sam Young 152, David Scott 131). Dorset (11pts) drew with Cheshire (12pts).

Eastern Division Two 

Tring Park: Buckinghamshire 386 (Alex Woodland 111, Michael Wells 64) & 245-5 dec (Alex Woodland 83, Michael Payne 72 not out), Cambridgeshire 153 (Conner Haddow 6-40) & 179 (Callum Guest 80). Buckinghamshire (24pts) beat Cambridgeshire (4pts) by 299 runs.

Hertford: Hertfordshire 330 (Kishen Velani 93, Josh de Caires 78) & 259 (Josh de Caires 93, Kishen Velani 57, Reece Hussain 56), Northumberland 275 (Dan Shurben 82) & 278-8 (Jack Jessop 90, Dan Shurben 71). Hertfordshire (12pts) drew with Northumberland (11pts).

Western Division Two 

Truro: Wales NC 298 (Connor Brown 133, Andrew Libby 6-81) & 212-8 dec (Cameron Herring 70 not out, George Pritchard 56), Cornwall 226 (Ellis Whiteford 50 not out). Cornwall (10pts) drew with Wales NC (11pts).

Sidmouth: Devon 402 (Matt Thompson 128, Calum Haggett 98, Elliot Hamilton 84, Jack Mynott 5-67), Wiltshire 225 (Max Shepherd 5-32) & 99 (Max Shepherd 8-40. Devon (24pts) beat Wiltshire (6pts) by 78 runs.