National Counties Knockout Trophy - Week 3 Review

Suffolk, Northumberland and Wiltshire all booked their places in the quarter-finals of this season’s National Counties Trophy with the group stage of the competition only at the halfway stage. 

Suffolk guaranteed passage from Group Three by beating Cambridgeshire by 27 runs at Exning, Northumberland held their nerve to defeat Oxfordshire by two wickets in a rain-affected match at Banbury to secure a top two finish in Group One and Wiltshire made it three wins out of three by beating Wales NC by six runs in another shortened contest at Warminster to do the same in Group Four. 

Suffolk’s third win of the season came in their final group match and they must now wait to see whether they have done enough to top Group Three and secure home advantage in the quarter-finals on July 2. 

No other side can surpass their six points but either Cheshire or Shropshire – but not both – can equal that tally. Cheshire face Shropshire in their final group match on June 25 at Toft and if sides finish level on points placings will be decided on net run rate. 

Suffolk improved their run rate with a slick team performance that saw them make a commanding 266 for seven with Jack Beaumont anchoring the innings with 73 and Josh Cantrell supplying the important late acceleration with 59 not out from 50 balls. 

Cambridgeshire were in the hunt when Wayne White and Lee Thomason added 58 for the fifth wicket but Suffolk’s strong spin attack slowly smothered the innings. 

Both White (68) and Thomason (63) fell trying to force the pace and the last four wickets fell for 15. 

Shropshire kept alive their quarter-final hopes with a five wickets victory over Norfolk at Whitchurch. 

Norfolk needed a half century from Ryan Findlay to lift them to 223 for nine but Shropshire paced their chase to perfection led by 88 from former Worcestershire batter Tom Fell and 71 from Andre Bradford. 

The pair added 147 for the second wicket after Bradford and George Hargrave had opened with a stand of 50. 

Shropshire now need to beat Cambridgeshire at St George’s next Sunday and Cheshire seven days later if they are to join Suffolk in the last eight. 

Former Durham and Ireland batter Stuart Poynter again played a key role in Northumberland’s victory at Banbury as he followed up his 171 against Herefordshire last week with 64 from 53 balls. 

Coach Dan Shurben was again a calming influence for Northumberland with 42 at the top of the order and former Cambridgeshire batter Nikhil Gorantla marked his debut with a composed 51. 

Northumberland stuttered in pursuit of a target of 233 but were ahead of the required DLS score of 211 when rain halted played a ball into the 44^th over with them on 219 for eight. 

Oxfordshire’s innings featured a second successive half century from newcomer Luke Hayes. 

Northumberland can still be overtaken at the top of Group One by Cumbria who they face in their final group match at Allendale next Sunday. 

Herefordshire also got home by two wickets in the other Group One game against Lincolnshire at Brockhampton. 

Lincolnshire’s 196 all out included four scores of 30 but no batter went beyond Jordan Cook’s 33.ng 35. 

Herefordshire also had handy contributions down the order led by Ben Chapman-Lilley’s 47 but they were in danger of squandering a match-winning position when they slipped from 137 for three to 150 for seven. 

Seamer Alex King was the architect of the collapse with five for 41 but Luke Powell (25 not out) and James Rudge (19) pulled Herefordshire round with an eighth wicket stand of 44. 

Wiltshire had to wait until mid-afternoon before the rain relented at Warminster and allowed a 33-overs-a-side contest. 

Half centuries from Jack Mynott and Ben Draper and a perky 34 not out from Josh Kelly took Wiltshire to 236 for seven. 

A more comfortable Wiltshire victory looked likely when Wales were 107 for four with more than half of their overs used but player/coach Brad Wadlan (74 not out from 52 balls) and Cameron Herring (30) then added 60 in six overs. 

But Wadlan ran out of partners after Herring departed and Wiltshire set up a possible group decider against Dorset at Dorchester on June 25. 

Worcestershire batter Kashif Ali enjoyed himself on his return to National Counties cricket with a match-winning 116 for Bedfordshire against Devon at Luton in Group Two. 

Ali, who was not required by Worcestershire for their LV=County Championship match at Hove, reached his maiden century in Bedfordshire in any format from 101 balls and shared a third wicket partnership of 165 with former Hampshire man Oli Soames (55). 

Bedfordshire were nought for two before Ali and Soames came together but they secured a three wickets win with more than three overs to spare. 

Ali’s innings – which included eight sixes - eclipsed a maiden century from Ben Beaumont, who made an unbeaten 104 from 128 balls, which, with a half century from Matt Thompson and 41 from Calum Haggett, took Devon to a challenging 258 for six. 

Defending champions Berkshire, and their former England Under-19 left-hander Euan Woods in particular, were frustrated by rain against Cornwall at Slough. 

Woods made 100 from 112 balls and shared a third wicket stand of 155 with Archie Carter (61) before Berkshire captain Dan Lincoln struck a quickfire 65 not out to take his side to 319 for seven. 

Cornwall openers Chris Gibson and Ben Seabrook launched the chase with a partnership of 52 from the first 34 balls of the innings but heavy rain prevented any further play. 

Dorset and Staffordshire suffered a complete washout at Bashley in Group Four which leaves Staffordshire now needing to beat against Buckinghamshire next Sunday and for Dorset to lose to both Wales NC and Wiltshire if they are to sneak into second place. 

National Counties Trophy 

Group One 

Brockhampton: Lincolnshire 196 (Roshan Venkataraman 5-37), Herefordshire 200-8 (Alex King 5-41). Herefordshire won by two wickets.

Banbury: Oxfordshire 232-7 (Luke Hayes 50 not out), Northumberland 219-8 (Stuart Poynter 64, Nikhil Gorantla 51). Northumberland won by two wickets (DLS Method)

Group Two 

Luton: Devon 258-6 (Ben Beaumont 104 not out, Matt Thompson 51), Bedfordshire 261-7 (Kashif Ali 116, Oli Soames 55). Bedfordshire won by three wickets.

Slough: Berkshire 319-7 (Euan Woods 112, Dan Lincoln 65 not out, Jonny Cater 61), Cornwall 52-0. No result.

Group Three 

Exning: Suffolk 266-7 (Jack Beaumont 73, Josh Cantrell 59 not out), Cambridgeshire 239 (Wayne White 68, Lee Thomason 63). Suffolk won by 27 runs.

Whitchurch: Norfolk 233-9 (Ryan Findlay 53 not out), Shropshire 224-5 (Tom Fell 88, Andre Bradford 71). Shropshire won by five wickets.

Group Four 

Bashley: Dorset v Staffordshire. Match abandoned.

Warminster: Wiltshire 236-7 (Jack Mynott 64, Ben Draper 58), Wales NC 230 (Brad Wadlan 74 not out). Wiltshire won by six runs.