NATIONAL COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW - WEEK 2 - DAY 2

Shropshire and Devon opened their accounts in Western Division Two of the National Counties Championship with two-day victories over Wales NC and Cornwall respectively. 

Shropshire were the day’s first winners, easing home by seven wickets at Oswestry with four sessions to spare while Devon were ten wickets winners in the cross-Tamar match at Sandford. 

Having dismissed Wales for 148 in their second innings, Shropshire were left to chase 146 for victory. 

Although they had five sessions to get the runs, the target appeared a challenging one in a match in which no side topped 150. 

But Andre Bradford saw Shropshire home inside 33 overs with an unbeaten 56 with Graham Wagg lending support with an aggressive 29 in a third wicket partnership of 46 that got them to within 20 of victory. 

Earlier Wales captain Cameron Herring made a defiant half-century before he was last out stumped, one of four victims for his opposite number Sam Whitney. 

At Sandford half centuries from Calum Haggett and captain Jamie Stephens helped Devon secure maximum bowling points and another disciplined team performance dismissed Cornwall for 167, one fewer than they managed in the first innings, and only just enough to avoid an innings defeat. Devon needed only four runs to complete a comfortable win. 

Defending champions Oxfordshire took control of their Western Division One match against Herefordshire at Thame thanks to a century on Championship debut from Exeter University batter Luke Maslen. 

Maslen, whose only previous appearance for Oxfordshire came against Sussex in last season’s Showcase match, shared a partnership of 143 – a county record for the seventh wicket – with Ollie Currill which took Oxfordshire from 131 for six to 306 for seven. 

Herefordshire ended the day six runs in arrears with five second innings wickets remaining. 

Berkshire moved into a strong position against Dorset at Wimborne with a maiden five wicket haul from leg-spinner Rhodri Lewis in only his second Championship match. 

Dorset were dismissed for 179 in their first innings but Berkshire did not enforce the follow-on and instead opted to extend their overall lead to 430 with second innings half-centuries from captain Dan Lincoln, Tom Scriven and Euan Woods. 

Dorset reduced their stiff target by 59 without loss before the close. 

In Eastern Division One, last season’s runners-up Suffolk face a second successive defeat against Norfolk at Woolpit. 

Suffolk were shot out for 125 in their first innings with Brett Stolworthy taking five wickets. 

Stolworthy added three more wickets in the final session as Suffolk limped to 79 for five after Norfolk openers Sam Arthurton and Ethan Metcalf had plundered centuries in an unbroken first wicket partnership of 224. 

Metcalf’s century came in only his second Championship match while Arthurton’s was his 14th in the competition. 

Staffordshire go into the final day of their match against Lincolnshire at Cleethorpes with a lead of 164 and seven wickets in hand. 

Despite a competition-best unbeaten 71 from former England Under-19s batter Jordan Cook, Staffordshire gained a valuable first innings lead of 41 which they built on with a solid half-century from Matthew Morris. 

Cumbria slow left-armer Matt Siddall took his second ten wicket match haul in successive matches butCambridgeshire are favourites to win the Eastern Division One match at Barrow. 

Siddall took five for 130 to finish with a match return of ten for 165 but half centuries from Joe Tetley and Alex Peirson extended Cambridgeshire’s second innings and left Cumbria needing 359 for victory. 

Cumbria were in trouble at 83 for four at the close with Callum Guest taking three of the wickets. 

Hertfordshire also face an uphill struggle to save their match against Buckinghamshire at Bishop’s Stortford. 

Charlie Scott made a Championship-best 91 in Hertfordshire’s first innings but they were made to follow-on 210 runs in arrears and they ended the day still 98 adrift with six second innings wickets left and Scott unbeaten on 33. 

National Counties Championship 

(Second day of three) 

Eastern Division One 

Cleethorpes: Staffordshire 326-8 dec (Michael 104, Alex Mellor 57) & 120-3 (Matthew Morris 53),  Lincolnshire 282 (Jordan Cook 71 not out). 

Woolpit: Norfolk 401-6 (Alfie Cooper 126, Sam Arthurton 85, Freddie Fairey 59, Tom New 56) & 224-0 (Sam Arthurton 113 not out, Ethan Metcalf 106 not out), Suffolk 125 (Brett Stolworthy 5-25) & 79-5. 

Western Division One 

Wimborne: Berkshire 403-9 (Savin Perera 112, Tom Scriven 110) & 206-3 dec (Tom Scriven 51 not out, Dan Lincoln 50 not out, Euan Woods 50), Dorset 179 (Rhodri Lewis 5-43) & 59-0. 

Thame: Herefordshire 143 & 157-5 (Olly Walker 60), Oxfordshire 306-7 (Luke Maslen 108 not out, Ollie Currill 53). 

Eastern Division Two 

Barrow: Cambridgeshire 176 (Joe Tetley 54, Callum Guest 52, Matt Siddall 5-35) & 280 (Joe Tetley 69, Alex Peirson 50, Matt Siddall 5-130), Cumbria 98 & 83-4. 

Bishop’s Stortford: Buckinghamshire 446-8 (Alexei Kervezee 107, Ross Richardson 105 not out, Aadi Sharma 96, Cameron Parsons 50), Hertfordshire 236 (Charlie Scott 91) & 112-4. 

Western Division Two 

Sandford: Cornwall 168 (Alex Bone 56) & 167, Devon 332 (Calum Haggett 80 not out, Jamie Stephens 66, Adam Small 54) & 4-0. Devon (24 pts) beat Cornwall (4pts) by ten wickets 

Oswestry: Wales NC 137 (Sam Ellis 5-20) & 148 (Cameron Herring 50), Shropshire 140 & 146-3 (Andre Bradford 56 not out). Shropshire (20pts) beat Wales NC (4pts) by seven wickets.