National Counties T20 Review 2023

Oxfordshire enjoyed mixed fortunes at the start of their defence of the National Counties T20 title with a win and a loss in their Group Four double-header against Buckinghamshire at Wormsley. 

Having started with a ten runs defeat in the first match of the day, Oxfordshire bounced back in the second with a four wickets victory thanks to decisive contributions from two contracted county players, Samit Patel and Harrison Ward. 

Patel, the Nottinghamshire and England all-rounder, took four for ten in four miserly overs to restrict Buckinghamshire to 141 for eight. 

Sussex opener Ward, who played a match-winning innings in last season’s final, then set up a perfectly-paced run chase by dominating an opening stand of 78 with Jamie Harrison. 

Ward made 57 from 31 balls with eight fours and two sixes and Oxfordshire got home with 11 balls to spare. 

Northamptonshire batter Saif Zaib impressed in Buckinghamshire’s innings with 50 from 24 balls in an opening partnership of 75 with former Worcestershire and Netherlands player Alexei Kervezee. 

It was Kervezee who laid the foundations for Buckinghamshire’s win in the opening match with 63 from 53 balls with Ross Richardson’s unbeaten 27 taking them to 145 for five. 

Oxfordshire were 47 for four at the midway stage of their chase but they rallied thanks to a typically busy innings from skipper Jonny Cater (47 from 37 balls) and a quickfire 21 from Ollie Currill. 

Oxfordshire needed 15 from the last over bowled by debutant Jon Denning but the Gerrards Cross left-armer conceded only four and took the wickets of Cater and Oliver Clarke to finish with three for 22. 

The only other matches to survive a rain-ravaged opening round were at Sherborne School where Dorset completed a double over Herefordshire. 

Dorset, who were beaten semi-finalists, won a low-scoring opener by six wickets and the second by 50 runs. 

Slow left-armers Rob Pack and Connor Smith shared six wickets between them as Herefordshire were dismissed for 83 in the opening game. 

Dorset were able to pace their chase but they did not hurry and got home with five balls to spare with former Somerset batter Sam Young making 51 not out. 

Young followed up with 32 in the second match and he shared an opening stand with Joe Eckland whose 62 saw Dorset to 130 for four. 

Herefordshire appeared to be well placed when they reached 46 for two at the midway stage of their reply but they shuddered to a halt against the accurate off-spin of Jake Gordon, who two for nine in his four overs, and they closed on 80 for eight. 

Dorset included Hampshire all-rounder Ross Whiteley in their side for both matches but the experienced T20 player made one from two balls on his National Counties debut and four from six balls in the second game. 

Six of the eight scheduled double-headers were abandoned without a ball being bowled with the two Group One contests joining the four that were cancelled during the week because of waterlogged grounds. 

Cheshire and Staffordshire both attempted to beat the weather by switching their matches against Northumberland and Cumbria respectively to Chester Boughton Hall and Checkley but further rain during the morning at both grounds scuppered their best efforts. 

National Counties T20 

Group One 

Chester Boughton Hall: Cheshire v Northumberland. Both matches abandoned. 

Checkley: Staffordshire v Cumbria. Both matches abandoned. 

Group Two 

Sherborne School: Herefordshire 83 (Rob Pack 3-14, Connor Smith 3-19), Dorset 87-4 (Sam Young 51 not out). Dorset won by six wickets.   

Dorset 130-4 (Joe Eckland 62), Herefordshire 80-8. Dorset won by 50 runs. 

South Wilts CC: Wiltshire v Devon. Both matches abandoned. 

Group Three 

Wisbech: Cambridgeshire v Hertfordshire. Both matches abandoned. 

Bourne: Lincolnshire v Norfolk. Both matches abandoned. 

Group Four 

Wormsley: Buckinghamshire 145-5 (Alexei Kervezee 63), Oxfordshire 135-8 (Jonny Cater 47, Jon Denning 3-22). Buckinghamshire won by 10 runs. 

Buckinghamshire 141-8 (Saif Zaib 50, Samit Patel 4-10), Oxfordshire 142-6 (Harrison Ward 57). Oxfordshire won by four wickets. 

Falkland CC: Berkshire v Wales NC. Both matches abandoned.