NCCA 50-Over Trophy 2025 Quarter-Finals - Preview

Hampshire batter/off-spinner Felix Organ will make his first appearance of the season for Dorset in their National Counties Trophy quarter-final against Buckinghamshire at Wimborne on Sunday (11am).

Organ was educated at Canford School and has played for Dorset since 2019 whenever his Hampshire commitments have allowed.

He has made just one County Championship appearance so far this season and, as he is not required for Vitaly Blast duty this weekend, he will make his seasonal debut for Dorset.

Organ is added to the side beaten by Cheshire in a high-scoring contest in their final group match along with batter Will Tripcony and leg-spinner Ethan Baker.

Buckinghamshire introduce Sheridon Gumbs, the former Surrey and England Under-19s batter, who is the younger brother of Shelvin, who played for the county from 2015 to 2021.

Gumbs is a product of Buckinghamshire’s pathway programme and is currently playing for Berkswell in the Birmingham & District Premier League as well as trialling with Leicestershire.

He comes into the side in place of Aadi Sharma who has made his first-class debut for Northamptonshire since he helped Buckinghamshire to defeat Oxfordshire two weeks ago.

Batter George Harvey returns to the squad having played in the first three group matches.

Berkshire have added batter Matt Dalrymple to the side that beat Devon in their final group match for Cheshire’s visit to the Falkland club in Newbury.

It is a re-match of last season’s semi-final at Alderley Edge where Cheshire dashed Berkshire’s hopes of winning the 50 overs competition for the fifth consecutive season.

Cheshire have made four changes to the side that beat Dorset at Didsbury with seamer Luke Young – who is trialling with Yorkshire - and Chris Sanders set for their first appearances of the season and Andy Dufty and Andrew Jackson their first in the Trophy.

The absentees include left-arm paceman Michael Finan who took six wickets against Dorset.

Shropshire, who won all four of their group matches, host Northumberland at Shifnal in their first-quarter-final appearance since 2018.

Shropshire are missing the unavailable former Worcestershire all-rounder Cameron Jones and slow left-armer Lewis Evans. Jones has been playing for the relaunched MCC Young Cricketers in an attempt to relaunch his career in first-class cricket.

But Shropshire are able to include their homegrown Worcestershire and England all-rounder Jack Home for the second time this season.

Wellington all-rounder Dan Lloyd is set for his first county appearance in two years with Newtown’s David Laird, who re-appeared in the T20 double-header against Cheshire last week, also in a 12-man squad.

Northumberland will give a competitive debut to Newcastle slow left-armer Joe Stuart who played in a friendly against Durham Second XI last year.

Oli McGee returns to captain the side along with wicketkeeper Chris Youldon who both missed the defeat by Bedfordshire which cost Northumberland top spot in Group One and a home quarter-final.

That place went to Cambridgeshire who, having won the group by virtue of their superior run rate, now host Suffolk at Exning, a ground that is actually in Suffolk.

Cambridgeshire have recalled Nicky Kirkwood, an opener batter from Nottinghamshire club Wollaton, who made his debut in the victory over Cumbria three weeks ago.

Batter Nikhil Gorantla, who recently rejoined the county after two seasons with Northumberland, also comes into the side which beat Bedfordshire to secure a place in the last eight.

Kirkwood and Gorantla replace Yousuf Choudhary and Ben Saunders as Cambridgeshire, who beat Suffolk by 85 runs at the same stage of last year’s competition, bid to reach the semi-finals for the ninth time.

Suffolk welcome back left-armer Matt Wareing who missed their defeat by Shropshire at Mildenhall.

Tom Rash makes for Wareing in the only change to the side with Alex Maynard travelling with the squad as twelfth man.

National Counties Trophy quarter-finals

Sunday June 1 (11am)

Exning: Cambridgeshire v Suffolk

Shifnal: Shropshire v Northumberland

Falkland CC: Berkshire v Cheshire

Wimborne: Dorset v Buckinghamshire.

📸 Roger B Photos