NCCA 50 Over Trophy 2025 - Week 3 Review

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Northumberland, Shropshire , Berkshire and Dorset all secured their places in the quarter-finals of the National Counties Trophy with a round of matches still to play.

Northumberland qualified from Group One despite suffering their first defeat of the campaign in their final group match – by 81 runs against Bedfordshire at Jesmond.

Shropshire secured qualification from Group Two by ending Staffordshire’s quarter-final hopes with a six wickets win at Shifnal with Berkshire making it three from three in Group Three by beating Buckinghamshire by seven wickets at the Falkland club in Newbury.

Dorset also made it three straight wins in Group Four with left-arm spinner Connor Smith taking 7-24, the county’s best-ever Trophy figures, to set up an emphatic nine wickets win over Wiltshire at Wimborne.

Smith return displaced Tom Hicks who took six for 30 against Cornwall at Bournemouth in 2015 at the head of Dorset’s records in the competition and they were also the fourth best figures by any bower in Trophy history.

Dorset made light work of a target of 144 as they coasted home with almost 30 overs to spare with Luke Webb (60 not out) and Dylan Church (50) opening with a partnership of 94.

Dorset now face a potential group decider against Cheshire at Didsbury next Sunday although another win for Dorset could open up a quarter-final place for the winners of the Hertfordshire v Wiltshire match at Hitchin.

Cheshire piled up the season’s highest total – 370 for seven – which proved to be 98 too many for Wales NC in a run fest at Toft.

Captain Sam Perry with a competition-best 176, and former Lancashire wicketkeeper/batter George Lavelle, whose 100 was his maiden century for Cheshire shared a third wicket partnership of 224 a record for any Cheshire wicket in the Trophy.

Wales made a spirited response with Cian Davies making 108 from 112 balls on his seasonal debut and wicketkeeper Sami Khan 70 on his first appearance in National Counties cricket with seamer Max Law taking five for 75 in just his third appearance for Cheshire.

Berkshire opener Rhys Lewis made his maiden Trophy century – 107 – to lay the foundations for their successful chase against Buckinghamshire. Charlie Dunnett (45) and Archie Carter (63 not out) played valuable supporting innings to see Berkshire home with six overs to spare.

Buckinghamshire captain Alexei Kervezee’s half century and Ed Horsley’s 36 helped Buckinghamshire recover from 163 for six with seamer Andy Rishton taking four for 49.

Buckinghamshire host Oxfordshire at Tring Park in their final group match where the winners could progress to the knockout stages but only if Berkshire beat Devon at Blundell’s School.

Devon beat Cornwall by 96 runs in a rain-shortened 34 overs match at Redruth where half-centuries from Somerset staff man Fin Hill (82) and Sam Elstone (56) saw them to 214 for eight.

Will MacVicar again underlined his value to Cornwall by taking four for 26 but his efforts proved in vain. Cornwall’s Trophy campaign ended when they were dismissed for 118 inside 28 overs with Callum Harvey and Sam Read sharing six wickets.

Shropshire used their four spinners to good effect to throttle Staffordshire at Shifnal. Michael Hill held the innings together but Staffordshire needed late fusillade of sixes from Liam Hurt to list them from 167 for eight to 213 for nine.

Former Worcestershire pair Tom Fell (81) and Jacques Banton (78) shared a third wicket partnership of 142 to maintain Shropshire’s unbeaten start.

Suffolk suffered their first defeat, going down to Herefordshire by 35 runs at Sudbury to leave their quarter-final hopes in the balance.

Ollie Walker, the hero of Herefordshire’s victory over Norfolk on Monday, again top-scored with 66 with Luke Tulacz helping him add 60 for the fifth wicket. James Rudge supplied the acceleration by thumping 57 from 28 balls to lift Herefordshire to 292.

Alex Oxley (68) and George Rhodes (41) led the chase but Suffolk were kept in check by Matt Pardoe (four for 55) and Imaad Mahmood (three for 46).

Having completed their group matches Herefordshire now require Shropshire to do them a favour by beating Suffolk – and by a hefty margin - at Mildenhall next Sunday if they are to progress to the last eight.

Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire face a shoot-out at Sawston next weekend to determine who will join Northumberland in the quarter-finals.

Bedfordshire banked a second successive win at Jesmond where Jake Tarling (75) and Danyaal Khalid (63) both made Trophy-best scores.

Former Durham all-rounder Jonny Bushnell took four wickets to restrict Bedfordshire to 271 – by no means an imposing total on a high-scoring ground – but Northumberland fell well short, dismissed for 190 despite Matthew Oswell’s half-century.

Cambridgeshire ended Cumbria’s interest in the competition with a 117 runs win at Kendal where Henry Wilson, with a Trophy-best 71, and Callum Guest (40) rescued them with a sixth wicket partnership of 98.

Former Bedfordshire slow left-armer George Darlow then took five for 32 – his best figures in the competition – to dismiss Cumbria for 138 with more than 10 overs unused which gave Bedfordshire’s net run rate a healthy boost.

National Counties Trophy

Group One

Kendal: Cambridgeshire 255-8 (Henry Wilson 71, Callum Guest 40), Cumbria 138 (George Darlow 5-32). Cambridgeshire won by 117 runs.

Jesmond: Bedfordshire 271 (Jake Tarling 75, Danyaal Khalid 63, Jonny Bushnell 4-47), Northumberland 190 (Matthew Oswell 61, Alasdair Appleby 41). Bedfordshire won by 81 runs.

Group Two

Shifnal: Staffordshire 213-9 (Liam Hurt 48, Michael Hill 48), Shropshire 214-4 (Tom Fell 81, Jacques Banton 78). Shropshire won by six wickets.

Sudbury: Herefordshire 292 (Ollie Walker 66, James Rudge 57 Luke Tulacz 42), Suffolk 257 (Alex Oxley 68, George Rhodes 41, Matt Pardoe 4-55). Herefordshire won by 35 runs.

Group Three

Falkland CC: Buckinghamshire 247 (Alexei Kervezee 63, Ross Richardson 50, Andy Rishton 4-49), Berkshire 248-3 (Rhys Lewis 107, Archie Carter 63 not out, Charlie Dunnett 45). Berkshire won by seven wickets.

Redruth: Devon 214-8 (Fin Hill 82, Sam Elstone 56, Will MacVicar 4-26), Cornwall 118. Devon won by 96 runs.

Group Four

Toft: Cheshire 370-7 (Sam Perry 176, George Lavelle 100), Wales NC 272 (Cian Davies 108, Sami Khan 70, Max Law 5-75). Cheshire won by 98 runs.

Wimborne: Wiltshire 143 (Connor Smith 7-24), Dorset 147-1 (Luke Webb 60 not out, Dylan Church 50). Dorset won by nine wickets.