NCCA 50-Over Trophy Week 5 Preview

Calculators will be at the ready as the National Counties Trophy group stage reaches a fascinating finale on Sunday June 23.

So far only Berkshire, the defending champions, and Norfolk have clinched quarter-finals places and only Wales NC and Buckinghamshire have no mathematical chance of progressing further.

That leaves 16 teams across the four groups scrapping for the six remaining quarter-final places although the prospects of Northumberland in Group One and Oxfordshire in Group Three are remote as they have already played their four matches and so cannot improve their respective negative net run rates.

In Group One Bedfordshire host Cambridgeshire at Southill Park where the winners will qualify for the quarter-finals on June 30 and secure home advantage.

All will not be lost for the losers at Southill Park if Cumbria, beaten finalists in the last four season’s but bottom of the group this season, beat Lincolnshire at Bourne but do not improve their net run rate sufficiently to take second spot. Lincolnshire will progress to the last eight if they beat Cumbria.

Bedfordshire have included Worcestershire batter Kashif Ali in their 12-man squad with left-arm quick Jack Fuller in line to make his first appearance of the season against Cambridgeshire.

Lincolnshire welcome back Nic Keast, Jaden Fell and Ben Wright - who missed last weekend’s defeat by Cambridgeshire.

Cumbria, who suffered their first home defeat in the Trophy for seven years against Northumberland last Sunday, have named three teenage debutants in their squad. Josh Brown (Cockermouth) and Sam Bates (Workington) are both 18 and Netherfield’s Reece Irving celebrated his 19th birthday last weekend.

Group Two is also intriguingly poised with four counties battling to join Norfolk in the quarter-finals.

Suffolk need to beat Herefordshire at Colwall to make certain of joining their East Anglian rivals, who they beat at Sudbury last weekend.

But a Herefordshire win would put them level on points with Suffolk and with the winner of the Staffordshire v Shropshire match at Moddershall meaning that the final placings would be decided on net run rate. At the moment Suffolk, Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire all have negative net run rates, with Staffordshire’s the bestat -0.02.

Herefordshire have made three changes to the side beaten by Shropshire with former Worcestershire batter Taylor Cornall, vice-captain Nick Hammond and seamer Adam Hines replacing brothers Olly and Toby Cox and Imaad Mahmood.

Experienced batter Darren Batch will make his seasonal debut for Suffolk in place of the unavailable Jack Beaumont.

Staffordshire have called up left-arm spinner Anis Raza for his first appearance of the season against Shropshire as Tom Brett is unavailable. Shropshire welcome back former Oxfordshire seamer Ollie Currill in place of Jack Home.

In Group Three, Devon host Cornwall at Cornwood to determine who will join Berkshire in the last eight. Berkshire travel to Chesham to face winless Buckinghamshire knowing that a win will clinch top spot in the group and a home quarter-final.

Devon have added two Cornwood players, Ben Beaumont and Matt Skeemer, to the side that beat Buckinghamshire two weeks ago.

Cornwall are again missing former Kent all-rounder Alex Blake plus batter Toby Whiteford.

Berkshire have named an unchanged 12-man squad while Buckinghamshire have called up seamer Tom Weymes for his first Trophy appearance of the season. George Harvey returns in place of the unavailable Aadi Sharma.

Cheshire and Wiltshire face a shoot-out at Didsbury to decide who will progress from Group Four champions with Hertfordshire needing to beat Wales NC at Hitchin to also ensure quarter-final qualification.

A Wales win would bring Dorset, who have already completed their group programme into the equation although their net run rate - -0.46 – is vastly inferior to both Cheshire and Wiltshire.

Cheshire have made three changes to the squad named for last week’s washed-out match against Wales NC with Chester Boughton Hall’s Alex Money and Hyde pair Luke Young and Andy Jackson returning.

Batter Jack Mynott returns for Wiltshire replacing Tom Cheater in the only change to the side beaten by Dorset.

Hertfordshire include batter Callum Taylor, who played for Wales while he was on Glamorgan’s staff, and have called up Arjun Patel for his first appearance of the season.

Wales are set to give a debut to Northop Hall’s 17-year-old slow left-armer Romano Franco which would make him the youngest North Walian to represent the side.

Franco only switched to bowling from spin from keeping wicket 12 months ago but has made such eye-catching progress that he has already played Second XI cricket for Glamorgan.

Glamorgan seamer Ben Morris returns along with batter Callum Nicholls but leg-spinner Alex Russell is required by Northamptonshire this weekend.

National Counties Trophy

Sunday June 23 (11am)

Group One

Southill Park: Bedfordshire v Cambridgeshire. Bourne: Lincolnshire v Cumbria.

Group Two

Colwall: Herefordshire v Suffolk. Moddershall: Staffordshire v Shropshire.

Group Three

Chesham: Buckinghamshire v Berkshire. Cornwood: Devon v Cornwall.

Group Four

Didsbury: Cheshire v Wiltshire. Hitchin: Hertfordshire v Wales NC.