NATIONAL COUNTIES SET FOR NEW SEASON

Oxfordshire will begin their defence of their National Counties T20 title with a double-header against Buckinghamshire at Wormsley on Sunday April 16.

Oxfordshire lifted the trophy for the first time last season when they beat Cambridgeshire in a tense final at Tring Park.

Oxfordshire’s other matches in Group Four are against Bedfordshire at Dunstable on April 23, Berkshire at Thame on May 1 and Wales NC at Pontarddulais on May 7.

Although captain Jonny Cater, who led Oxfordshire to the National Counties Championship title in 2021, has announced his retirement from red ball cricket he will continue to skipper the county in white ball cricket this season.

The opening round of T20 matches on April 16 will also see Staffordshire break new ground by taking a county match to Moddershall’s Barnfields ground. Cumbria will be the visitors for the historic fixture, a double-header.

Sale’s Rookwood ground will be used by Cheshire for the first time since 1909 for their double-header with Northumberland on April 16.

Cheshire’s only previous match at the ground was a three-day game against Yorkshire Second XI in the old Minor Counties Championship.

Devon will take senior county cricket to another new venue, Cornwood’s Oak Park, where Cornwall will be the visitors on May 7.

Cornwall will also be the opposition when Dorset take county cricket to Milton Abbey School near Blandford Forum for the first time on April 30.

County cricket returns to Hitchin’s Lucas Lane ground for the first time in 25 years when Hertfordshire host Lincolnshire in a Group Three double-header on April 23.

The four group winners will progress to T20 Finals Day which will again be held at Tring Park on May 21.

Berkshire’s defence of the 50-overs National Counties Trophy will begin with a home match against Hertfordshire at Henley in Group Two on May 29.

Cumbria, beaten by Berkshire in the last three Trophy finals, begin their campaign with a trip to Brockhampton to face Herefordshire in Group One on May 29.

Slough’s Upton Court Road ground returns as a county venue after an 11-year absence but this time as a home venue for Berkshire who will play Cornwall and Wales NC there. The ground was previously used by Buckinghamshire.

Staffordshire are also returning to Smethwick’s Broomfield ground for the first time since 1982 with Wiltshire the visitors on June 4.

The Trophy final will again be played at Wormsley on August 27.

Berkshire’s attempt to win the Durant Sport National Counties Championship for the sixth time in seven seasons will begin with a Western Division One match against newly-promoted Devon at the Falkland club in Newbury from July 9 to 11.

Berkshire reclaimed the three-day title from Oxfordshire last season by virtue of their first innings lead over Lincolnshire in a rain-ravaged final at West Bromwich Dartmouth.

This season’s final will again be played at West Bromwich Dartmouth’s centrally-located Sandwell Park ground from September 3 to 6.

Lincolnshire sit out the opening round of Championship matches and will begin their defence of the Eastern Division One title against Suffolk at Sleaford from July 23-25.

Wales NC will take county cricket to the Brymbo club near Wrexham for the first time when Shropshire visit for a cross-border Western Division Two match from July 9 to 11.

It will be the first time that Wales have staged a Championship match at Brymbo and the first such fixture there since 1935 when Denbighshire hosted Lincolnshire in a two-day Minor Counties Championship match.

The 20 National Counties will again face first-class opposition in Showcase fixtures on Sunday July 30 and Tuesday August 1.

Berkshire will have the opportunity to repeat last season’s victory over Middlesex with Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire, who defeated Surrey and Durham respectively, facing Sussex and Derbyshire this time around.

Wales NC will host Warwickshire at the Sudbrook club in Caldicot, the first time that they have played a match at the Mill Lane ground.

Cheshire’s match against Yorkshire will be played at Nantwich as part of that club’s 175th anniversary celebrations.

NATIONAL COUNTIES FIXTURES

National Counties T20

Sunday April 16

Group One. Sale: Cheshire v Northumberland, Moddershall: Staffordshire v Cumbria.

Group Two. Sherborne School: Dorset v Herefordshire, South Wilts CC: Wiltshire v Devon.

Group Three. Wisbech: Cambridgeshire v Hertfordshire, Bourne: Lincolnshire v Norfolk.

Group Four. Falkland CC: Berkshire v Wales NC, Wormsley: Oxfordshire v Buckinghamshire.

Sunday April 23

Group One. South Northumberland CC: Northumberland v Staffordshire, Shifnal: Shropshire v Cheshire.

Group Two. Wadebridge: Cornwall v Wiltshire, Exmouth: Devon v Dorset.

Group Three. Hitchin: Hertfordshire v Lincolnshire, Ipswich School: Suffolk v Cambridgeshire.

Group Four. Dunstable: Bedfordshire v Oxfordshire, High Wycombe: Buckinghamshire v Berkshire.

Sunday April 30

Group One. Barrow: Cumbria v Northumberland, Leek: Staffordshire v Shropshire.

Group Two. Sandford: Devon v Herefordshire, Milton Abbey School: Dorset v Cornwall.

Group Three. Woodhall Spa: Lincolnshire v Suffolk, Horsford: Norfolk v Hertfordshire.

Group Four. Wargrave: Berkshire v Bedfordshire, Lisvane: Wales NC v Buckinghamshire.

Monday May 1

Group One: Nantwich: Cheshire v Staffordshire, Wem: Shropshire v Cumbria.

Group Two: Werrington: Cornwall v Herefordshire, South Wilts CC: Wiltshire v Dorset.

Group Three: March: Cambridgeshire v Lincolnshire, Ipswich School: Suffolk v Norfolk.

Group Four: Ampthill: Bedfordshire v Wales NC, Thame: Oxfordshire v Berkshire.

Sunday May 7

Group One. Kendal: Cumbria v Cheshire, South Northumberland CC: Northumberland v Shropshire.

Group Two. Cornwood: Devon v Cornwall, Colwall: Herefordshire v Wiltshire.

Group Three. Welwyn Garden City: Hertfordshire v Suffolk, Horsford: Norfolk v Cambridgeshire.

Group Four. High Wycombe: Buckinghamshire v Bedfordshire, Pontarddulais: Wales NC v Oxfordshire.

Sunday May 21

Finals Day: Tring Park.

National Counties Trophy

Sunday May 28

Group Three. Horsford: Norfolk v Cheshire, Sudbury: Suffolk v Shropshire.

Group Four. Port Talbot: Wales NC v Staffordshire.

Monday May 29

Group One. Brockhampton: Herefordshire v Cumbria, Scunthorpe: Lincolnshire v Northumberland.

Group Two. Henley: Berkshire v Hertfordshire, Truro: Cornwall v Devon.

Group Three. Mildenhall: Suffolk v Cheshire.

Group Four. Marlborough College: Wiltshire v Buckinghamshire.

Sunday June 4

Group One. Cockermouth: Cumbria v Oxfordshire, Jesmond: Northumberland v Herefordshire.

Group Two. Exeter: Devon v Berkshire, Watford: Hertfordshire v Bedfordshire.

Group Three. Didsbury: Cheshire v Cambridgeshire, Horsford: Norfolk v Suffolk.

Group Four. Gerrards Cross: Buckinghamshire v Dorset, Smethwick: Staffordshire v Wiltshire.

Sunday June 11

Group One. Brockhampton: Herefordshire v Lincolnshire, Banbury: Oxfordshire v Northumberland.

Group Two. Luton: Bedfordshire v Devon, Slough: Berkshire v Cornwall.

Group Three. Exning: Cambridgeshire v Suffolk, Oswestry: Shropshire v Norfolk.

Group Four. Bashley: Dorset v Staffordshire, Warminster: Wiltshire v Wales NC.

Sunday June 18

Group One. Bracebridge Heath: Lincolnshire v Oxfordshire, Allendale: Northumberland v Cumbria.

Group Two. Redruth: Cornwall v Bedfordshire, Instow: Devon v Hertfordshire.

Group Three. St Georges CC: Shropshire v Cambridgeshire.

Group Four. Porthill Park CC: Staffordshire v Buckinghamshire, Panteg: Wales NC v Dorset.

Sunday June 25

Group One. Keswick: Cumbria v Lincolnshire, Great & Little Tew: Oxfordshire v Herefordshire.

Group Two. Southill Park: Bedfordshire v Berkshire, North Mymms: Hertfordshire v Cornwall.

Group Three. Exning: Cambridgeshire v Norfolk, Toft: Cheshire v Shropshire.

Group Four. Slough: Berkshire v Wales NC, Dorchester: Dorset v Wiltshire.

Sunday July 2

Quarter-finals

Sunday July 16

Semi-finals

Sunday August 27

Final: Wormsley

Durant Cricket Championship

July 9-11

Eastern Division One. Tring Park: Buckinghamshire v Norfolk, Bury St Edmunds: Suffolk v Staffordshire.

Western Division One. Falkland CC: Berkshire v Devon, Eastnor: Herefordshire v Oxfordshire.

Eastern Division Two. Barrow: Cumbria v Bedfordshire, North Shields: Northumberland v Cambridgeshire.

Western Division Two: Truro: Cornwall v Dorset, Brymbo: Wales NC v Shropshire.

July 23-25

Eastern Division One. Sleaford: Lincolnshire v Suffolk, West Bromwich Dartmouth: Staffordshire v Buckinghamshire.

Western Division One. Alderley Edge: Cheshire v Herefordshire, Thame: Oxfordshire v Berkshire.

Eastern Division Two: Bedford School: Bedfordshire v Northumberland, Bishop’s Stortford: Hertfordshire v Cumbria.

Western Division Two: Bridgnorth: Shropshire v Cornwall, Corsham: Wiltshire v Wales NC.

August 6-8

Eastern Division One. Chesham: Buckinghamshire v Lincolnshire, Horsford: Norfolk v Staffordshire.

Western Division One. Finchampstead: Berkshire v Cheshire, Exeter: Devon v Oxfordshire.

Eastern Division Two. Saffron Walden: Cambridgeshire v Bedfordshire, Jesmond: Northumberland v Hertfordshire.

Western Division Two. St Austell: Cornwall v Wiltshire, Wimborne: Dorset v Shropshire.

August 13-15

Eastern Division One. Horsford: Norfolk v Suffolk, Checkley: Staffordshire v Lincolnshire.

Western Division One. Chester Boughton Hall: Cheshire v Devon, Eastnor: Herefordshire v Berkshire.

Eastern Division Two. Carlisle: Cumbria v Northumberland, Hertford: Hertfordshire v Cambridgeshire.

Western Division Two. Abergavenny: Wales NC v Cornwall, South Wilts CC: Wiltshire v Dorset.

August 20-22

Eastern Division One. Cleethorpes: Lincolnshire v Norfolk, Copdock: Suffolk v Buckinghamshire.

Western Division One. Sidmouth: Devon v Herefordshire, Banbury: Oxfordshire v Cheshire.

Eastern Division Two. Flitwick: Bedfordshire Hertfordshire, Peterborough: Cambridgeshire v Cumbria.

Western Division Two. Wimborne: Dorset v Wales NC, Whitchurch: Shropshire v Wiltshire.

September 3-6

Final: West Bromwich Dartmouth.

Showcase Matches

Sunday July 30

Dunstable: Bedfordshire v Essex, TBC: Berkshire v Middlesex, Peterborough: Cambridgeshire v Northamptonshire, Nantwich: Cheshire v Yorkshire, Sedbergh School: Cumbria v Lancashire, Bovey Tracey: Devon v Somerset, Wimborne: Dorset v Hampshire, Cheltenham College: Gloucestershire v Wiltshire, Eastnor: Herefordshire v Glamorgan, Watford: Hertfordshire v Kent, Lincoln: Lincolnshire v Derbyshire, Horsford: Norfolk v Nottinghamshire, Jesmond: Northumberland v Durham, TBC: Oxfordshire v Sussex, Shrewsbury: Shropshire v Worcestershire, Knypersley: Staffordshire v Leicestershire, Woolpit: Suffolk v Surrey,Sudbrook: Wales NC v Warwickshire.

Tuesday August 1

Truro: Cornwall v Somerset, Hove: Suffolk v Buckinghamshire.