NCCA 50-Over Trophy Week 5 Review

Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Suffolk, Devon, Cheshire and Dorset secured their places in the quarter-finals of the National Counties Trophy on a dramatic final day of group matches.

Suffolk booked their passage from Group Two as runners-up to the already-qualified Norfolk with a tense three runs win over Herefordshire at Colwall.

Suffolk appeared to be on course for a more comfortable victory when Herefordshire slipped from 55 without loss to 94 for five in pursuit of a target of 245.

But Ollie Walker (82) and Luke Powell (49) revived Herefordshire’s challenge with a sixth wicket partnership of 75.

Nine runs were needed when Walker lofted Darren Ironside to long-off but the last wicket pair of Sam Keeling-Wright and Adam Hines got Herefordshire to within one boundary of victory until Keeling-Wright lifted Raj Singh to long-on.

Suffolk’s win ended the quarter-final hopes of Shropshire who had comfortably disposed of Staffordshire by six wickets at Moddershall.

Callum Hawkins fell one short of a maiden century on his home club ground but Staffordshire’s batters laboured against the outswing of Sam Ellis who took a competition-best five for 49, including his first three wickets in seven balls.

Shropshire eased home with more than five overs to spare with the former Worcestershire pair of Olly Westbury (82) and Tom Fell (54) sharing a second wicket partnership of 103.

Devon finished as runners-up in Group Three despite going down by seven runs to Cornwall at Cornwood.

Chippenham all-rounder Jake Rowe starred with bat and ball for Cornwall, first making 95 not out which, in partnership with Alex Bone (69), rescued them from 73 for five.

Rowe and Bone added 109 for the sixth wicket and debutant John Moon from Werrington then made 36 and helped Rowe add 68 for the eighth wicket which lifted Cornwall to 270 for nine.

Elliot Hamilton led (82) and Calum Haggett (73) led Devon’s spirited response but Rowe held his nerve to take four for 40 including the wickets of Jamie Stephens and Matt Skeemer in the last over of the match.

Defeat cost Devon a home quarter-final as defending champions Berkshire – who had already qualified for the last eight - topped the group despite going down to a four runs defeat against Buckinghamshire at Chesham.

Alexei Kervezee, the former Netherlands and Worcestershire batter, helped Buckinghamshire to 253 with support from George Harvey (36) in a stand of 103 for the fifth wicket.

Rhys Lewis (54) and Johnny Connell (45) responded with an opening partnership of 73 for Berkshire but Tom Hampton, Buckinghamshire’s captain, was in inspired form and took a competition-best six for 53 including the important last wicket of his opposite number Dan Lincoln.

Cheshire clinched top spot in Group Four by thumping Wiltshire by 129 runs at Didsbury where three records were broken.

Cheshire’s 379 for seven was their highest total in the Trophy, surpassing 374 for six that they made against Lincolnshire at Chester Boughton Hall in 2018.

For Wiltshire it meant an unwanted record of the most runs they have conceded in a Trophy innings, 27 more than Wales made against them at Newport in 2015.

Brooklands batter Kevin Carroll, in only his third Trophy match, led Cheshire’s onslaught with 89 from just 35 balls with eight sixes and as many fours.

Rob Sehmi, in his first county outing in two years, set the tempo with 71 from 62 balls and there were other important contributions from Luke Young (50), Alex Money (36), Harry Dearden (31) and Henry Dobson (30).

Steven Green took a maiden five wicket haul on his first appearance of the season which effectively decided the contest but Will Naish took the opportunity to make a maiden century which prolonged Wiltshire’s resistance.

Naish’s 123 from 74 balls also included eight sixes and he shared a Wiltshire record last wicket partnership of 96 with Joe King (22) which reduced the margin of defeat.

Hertfordshire missed the opportunity to join Cheshire in the last eight when they went down to a 76 runs defeat against Wales NC at Hitchin.

Half-centuries from Steffan Roberts and Glamorgan staff man Henry Hurle plus 40 from the experienced Cameron Herring helped Wales NC to a challenging 282 for nine despite Hertfordshire captain Ben Waring taking six for 33.

Callum Taylor, the former Glamorgan and Wales batter, responded with a half-century against his former county but no-one else made 40 and Hertfordshire were kept in check by Glamorgan seamer Ben Morris (three for 34) and Brad Wadlan (three for 33).

Hertfordshire’s defeat allowed Dorset to move above Wiltshire into second place in the final group table on superior net run rate on a day off having completed their group programme last week.

Cambridgeshire beat Bedfordshire by two wickets in a tight finish in the Group One decider at Southill Park.

Half-centuries from former Hampshire batter Oli Soames and Jake Tarling – a recent recruit from Buckinghamshire – in an opening partnership of 115 was the basis of Bedfordshire’s 242 for seven.

But their progress was checked by slow left-armer Harrison Craig who returned competion-best figures of five for 38.

Cambridgeshire lost Wayne White and Ben Seabrook in the first 11 balls of their chase but they were revived by a fourth wicket stand of 87 between Joe Tetley (61) and Lee Thomason (64 not out).

Jack Loveday (29 from 21 balls ) then gave Thomason valuable support with Craig also chipping in with ten runs from five balls to see them home with 11 balls to spare.

Lincolnshire had an easier passage with a 118 runs victory at Bourne which ended Cumbria’s hopes of appearing in a fifth successive Trophy final.

Tom Keast (74) and Ben Wright (47) were the main contributors to Lincolnshire’s 262 with Josh Brown, one of three teenage debutants in Cumbria’s side, taking three wickets.

Three wickets from Mark Footitt effectively put an end to Cumbria’s campaign although Ed Moulton (25 not out) and Dylan Simpson – who was drafted in at the last minute after Will Fraine sustained an ankle injury in the warm-up – delayed the inevitable with a last wicket stand of 43.

In the quarter-finals on June 30 Cambridgeshire will host Suffolk, Norfolk will be at home to Lincolnshire, Berkshire will have home advantage against Dorset and Cheshire will entertain Devon.

Venues will be confirmed shortly.

National Counties Trophy

Group One

Southill Park: Bedfordshire 242-7 (Oli Soames 58, Jake Tarling 51, Patrick Harrington 44 not out, Harrison Craig 5-38), Cambridgeshire 246-8 (Lee Thomason 64 not out, Joe Tetley 61). Cambridgeshire won by two wickets.

Bourne: Lincolnshire 262 (Tom Keast 74, Ben Wright 47), Cumbria 144. Lincolnshire won by 118 runs.

Group Two

Colwall: Suffolk 244-9 (George Rhodes 90), Herefordshire 241 (Ollie Walker 82, Luke Powell 49, Josh Cantrell 4-32). Suffolk won by three runs.

Moddershall: Staffordshire 227-9 (Callum Hawkins 99, Sam Ellis 5-49), Shropshire 231-4 (Olly Westbury 82, Tom Fell 54). Shropshire won by six wickets.

Group Three

Chesham: Buckinghamshire 253 (Alexei Kervezee 66, Andy Rishton 4-44) Berkshire 249 (Rhys Lewis 54, Tom Hampton 6-53). Buckinghamshire won by four runs.

Cornwood: Cornwall 270-9 (Jake Rowe 95 not out, Alex Bone 69, Jamie Stephens 4-35), Devon 263 (Elliot Hamilton 82, Calum Haggett 73, Jake Rowe 4-40). Cornwall won by seven runs.

Group Four

Didsbury: Cheshire 379-7 (Kevin Carroll 89, Rob Sehmi 71, Luke Young 50), Wiltshire 250 (Will Naish 123 not out, Steven Green 5-76). Cheshire won by 129 runs.

Hitchin: Wales NC 282-9 (Henry Hurle 73, Steffan Roberts 62, Cameron Herring 40, Ben Waring 6-33), Hertfordshire 206 (Callum Taylor 58). Wales NC won by 76 runs.