NATIONAL COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP - DAY TWO REVIEW - WEEK 4

Tom Brett bowled Bedfordshire to a innings and 67 runs victory against Norfolk inside two days at Manor Park with a career-best match return of 13 for 88. 

The slow left-armer took seven for 33 from 22.3 overs in Norfolk’s first innings and six for 55 when they followed on. It was Brett’s fourth ten wicket match return for Bedfordshire and his tenth five wicket haul. 

Bedfordshire’s win, their first in the National Counties Championship this season, improved their prospects of staying in Eastern Division One following promotion 12 months ago. 

But Norfolk’s heavy defeat damaged their hopes of topping the table and making next month’s final at West Bromwich Dartmouth. 

Lincolnshire, who sit out this round of matches and who travel to Manor Park for Sunday’s final round of divisional matches, were the main beneficiaries of Bedfordshire’ win which put pressure on Suffolk at the other end of the table. 

Brett, a former Northamptonshire player, took 12 of his wickets in a day, triggering a collapse that saw Norfolk lose six first innings wicket for 20. Brett’s fellow left-armer George Darlow gave him excellent support with three for 55 from 20 overs. 

A last wicket stand of 31 from Ryan Findlay and Charlie Rogers got Norfolk to 131 but they were made to follow-on 262 in arrears and they were soon in trouble when Sam Arthurton went LBW for a duck to the 13th ball of the second innings. 

Tom New, the former Leicestershire wicketkeeper/batter, dug in for three hours for his 76 and Alfie Cooper kept him company in a third wicket partnership of 64. 

But Cooper was stumped off Brett who again throttled Norfolk in a miserly marathon 32-over spell. 

Bedfordshire now face Suffolk at Flitwick in their final match on Sunday when a draw may prove sufficient to keep them up. 

Suffolk, last season’s beaten finalists, were 90 behind at the halfway stage of their match against Staffordshire at Checkley despite a career-best 146 from Darren Ironside. 

Ironside shared a second wicket partnership of 124 with Alex Oxley but Suffolk fell away badly, losing their last seven wickets for 79 with slow left-armer Paul Byrne taking six for 93 in what may prove to be his last match for Staffordshire. 

Byrne took all his wickets in the afternoon session during a marathon spell of 22.3 overs unchanged. 

Staffordshire increased their lead to 222 for the loss of six wickets by the close with Michael Hill making 50 to go with his county record three centuries in consecutive innings. 

Buckinghamshire went clear at the top of Eastern Division Two with an innings and 29 runs inside two days overNorthumberland at Jesmond. 

Northumberland were shot out for 99 with Alex Woodland taking for 12 – his best Championship figures – with his seamers. 

There was more resistance when Northumberland followed on, notably from Jack Jessop (48) and Stuart Poynter (46) but a solid team bowling performance, led by slow left-armer Conner Haddow’s four for 81,  swept Buckinghamshire to their third straight win. 

Buckinghamshire now host Cambridgeshire at Tring Park, starting on Sunday, in a potential promotion decider. 

Hertfordshire were frustrated first by rain, which prevented play against Cumbria at Furness until 5pm, then by spirited resistance from Sam Dutton who struck 11 fours in his 73-ball 56. 

There were wickets apiece for Middlesex seamer Ishaan Kaushal on his National Counties debut and Ben Waring as Cumbria were eventually dismissed for 183. 

Hertfordshire extended their first innings lead of 84 to 100 for the loss of Arjun Patel in the final over of the day. 

Captain Jonny Cater plundered 110 not out from 88 balls to set up defending champions Oxfordshire’s declaration against Dorset at Banbury in Western Division One. 

Cater could have enforced the follow-on after Dorset were skittled for 99 in their first innings but he opted to bat again. 

Cater led from the front, striking five sixes and seven fours, before he declared, challenging Dorset to make 509 – 16 more than their highest-ever Championship total – for victory.  

They were soon in trouble with seamer Robbie Shurmer accounting for openers Will Tripcony and Luke Webb before former Hampshire batter Oli Soames – who top-scored with 24 in the first innings – again dug in. 

Soames was snared by slow left-armer Ollie Clarke but Sam Young (47 not out) and David Scott (34 not out) saw Dorset through to the close at 126 for three with an unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 64. 

An intriguing final day is in prospect at Nantwich where Cheshire lead Berkshire by 132 runs with seven second innings wickets remaining. 

Berkshire trailed by 117 on first innings despite half centuries from opener Imran Malik, his second in as many matches in a promising start to his National Counties career, and a first from Charlie Dunnett. 

David Wainwright, the former Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire slow left-hander, took four wickets to go with his first day half-century but Cheshire soon ran into trouble against spin at the start of their second innings. 

Slow left-armer Luke Beaven took the new ball and the wickets of Sam Perry, Ali Chughtai and Cheshire captain Rob Sehmi before bad light halted play. 

Former Glamorgan pace bowler Kaz Szymanski took a Championship-best six for 58 to keep Devon firmly in charge of their Western Division Two match against Shropshire at Bridgnorth. 

Oxford University batter George Hargrave made a half-century in his first Championship innings of the season but Shropshire lost six wickets for 40 and needed a last wicket stand of 68 between captain Sam Whitney and Ben Roberts to lift them to 255. 

That gave Devon a first innings lead of 250 but they decided not to enforce the follow-on and instead opted to go in search of quick second innings runs. 

Rapid half-centuries from Calum Haggett and Ed Middleton took them to 202 for eight when captain Jamie Stephens declared, challenging Shropshire to make 453 in the fourth innings. 

Hargrave was dismissed for a second time in the day, caught behind off Hugo Whitlock, this time for nine. 

Cornwall failed to capitalise on half centuries from player/coach Ateeq Javid and Max Tryfonos – his first in the Championship – and allowed Wiltshire to take control at the South Wilts club in Salisbury. 

Cornwall lost their last eight wickets for 67, with left-arm seamer Josh Croom taking four for 69, which gave Wiltshire a first innings lead of 112. 

Opener Jack Mynott stretched Wiltshire’s lead beyond 300 with a career-best 112 not out which, with 53 from player/coach Tom Morton, helped them recover from the loss of three wickets for three runs in mid-innings. 

Mynott and Morton added 93 for the sixth wicket and Wiltshire closed on 206 for six, a lead of 318. 

National Counties Championship 

(Second day of three) 

Eastern Division One 

Manor Park: Bedfordshire 393-8 (Amrit Basra 70, Sam Bates 69, James Kettleborough 64, Fayaz Homyoon 51), Norfolk 131 (Tom Brett 7-33) &  (Tom New 76, Tom Brett ). Bedfordshire (24pts) beat Norfolk (3pts) by an innings and 67 runs. 

Checkley: Staffordshire 423-5 (Michael Hill 152, Zen Malik 145) & 132-6 (Michael Hill 50) , Suffolk 333 (Darren Ironside 146, Alex Oxley 50, Paul Byrne 6-93). 

Western Division One 

Nantwich: Cheshire 451-8 (Rob Sehmi 108, Andrew Jackson 93, David Wainwright 89 not out) & 15-3, Berkshire 334-9 (Imran Malik 76, Euan Woods 52, Charlie Dunnett 50). 

Banbury: Oxfordshire 326-9 (Jonny Cater 71, Harry Smith 55, David Scott 5-115) & 281-7 dec (Jonny Cater 110 not out), Dorset99 & 126-3. 

Eastern Division Two 

Furness: Hertfordshire 267 (Kishen Velani 134) &  16-1, Cumbria 183 (Sam Dutton 56). 

Jesmond: Buckinghamshire 362-9 (Michael Wells 179 not out, Michael Payne 64), Northumberland 96 & 237. Buckinghamshire (24pts) beat Northumberland (2pts) by an innings & 29 runs. 

Western Division Two 

Bridgnorth: Devon 503-5 (James Horler 174, Elliot Hamilton 137) & 202-8 dec (Calum Haggett 68, Ed Middleton), Shropshire 255 (George Hargrave 64, Kaz Szymanski 6-58) & 17-1. 

South Wilts CC: Wiltshire 346 (Josh Croom 95, Toby Kershaw 94) & 206-6 (Jack Mynott 112 not out, Tom Morton 53), Cornwall 234(Ateeq Javid 68, Max Tryfonos 53).