NCCA 50-Over Trophy 2025 Review - Week 1

Former Worcestershire all-rounder Cameron Jones took three for 32 on his competitive debut for Shropshire in their six wickets victory over Herefordshire at Eastnor in Group Two.

Herefordshire’s 145 owed much to debutant Sinel Gunurathne (46) and Luke Powell (46) but Shropshire got home with almost 19 overs to spare.

George Hargrave (39) and Warwickshire Academy player Theo Wylie (42) opened with a partnership of 70 and Andre Bradford (25 not out) and skipper Charlie Home (30 not out) finished the job with an unbroken fifth wicket stand of 54.

Cheshire crashed to their lowest-ever National Counties Trophy total as they went down to a ten wickets defeat against Hertfordshire at Hitchin.

Cheshire, last season’s beaten finalists, were shot out for just 68 after they had opted to bat first at Lucas Lane and Hertfordshire openers Archie Harrison and Dominic Chatfield then knocked off the runs inside 14 overs without alarm.

A combination of testing seam bowling from Jack Plom (three for 20) and Chinmay Mullapudi (two for 23) undermined Cheshire with debutant Nafis Shaikh brilliantly running out Alex Money for a duck.

Only Aaron Soni, who made 17 in his first innings for Cheshire in three years, Max Law (10) and Kevin Carroll (10) reached double figure for Cheshire who continued to struggle against Ben Waring’s left-arm spin and the seam of Ben Clifford.

The match was completed in 33.2 in just over two-and-half hours and would have been finished even quicker had Will Valentine not been dropped at slip then at mid-off in Clifford’s first over.

Cheshire’s previous lowest Trophy total of 83 was made against Shropshire at Oswestry in 2002.

Reigning champions Norfolk were also dismissed for under 100 as they began their title defence with a 124 runs defeat in the first county match played at Fakenham.

Suffolk were the only side to beat Norfolk in the competition last season and they repeated the achievement by making 203 and then dismissing Norfolk for 79 in 25.3 overs.

Suffolk’s innings was based around Darren Ironside’s 44 but there were useful cameos from Josh Cantrell (23), Jacob Marston (27) and Dan Shanks (22). Hamidullah Qadri, the former Derbyshire and Kent off-spinner, took two for 29 on his Norfolk debut.

Shanks then took three for four in four overs with his seamers but it was left armer Matt Wareing who sent Norfolk to their second-lowest Trophy total with a competition-best return of five for 27.

Oxfordshire crashed to a 19 runs defeat against Cornwall at St Just after a spectacular collapse which saw them lose their last six wickets for 11 runs when victory was in sight with Cornwall seamer Scott Kellow taking a hat-trick.

Kellow had Luke Hayes caught at mid-on from the last ball of one over and then bowled George Tait and had Tom Davis LBW from the first two balls of his next over as Oxfordshire imploded.

Earlier Kellow had top-scored with 37 as Cornwall struggled to 113 all out in 29 overs, an innings that gained added significance later in the day..

Oxfordshire appeared to be pacing their chase to perfection when they reached 83 for four but Kellow combined with the left-arm spin of Somerset’s Lewis Goldsworthy to trigger the collapse.

Kellow took four for 16 and Goldsworthy three for 13 to clinch an unlikely win for Cornwall and a disappointing start for Oxfordshire under their new white ball captain Harrison Ward, the Sussex left-hander.

There was a sombre mood at the North Devon club in Instow where Buckinghamshire, mourning their long-serving secretary Kevin Beaumont, were beaten by six wickets by Devon in the other Group Three match.

Beaumont died suddenly on Friday aged 78. He was Buckinghamshire’s secretary for 27 years and, in addition to being a highly-regarded and popular administrator, he was also a much-respected umpire who stood in 55 Minor Counties – now National Counties – matches between 1972 and 1983.

Buckinghamshire were dismissed for 134, with Ed Bragg top-scoring with 31 and Somerset staff man Joe Heywood taking three for 34 on his Devon debut.

Bragg took three for 32 to check Devon’s chase but skipper James Horler (49 not out) and Lawrence Walker (52 not out) steered them home with more than eight overs to spare in an unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 68.

Bothers Finn and Jacob Gordon made half-centuries to set up Dorset’s 136 runs victory over Wales NC at Lisvane.

Finn made 82 and Jacob 62 to take Dorset to 238 for seven with Alex Eckland chipping with 30 not out.

Despite having Glamorgan staff men Will Smale and Henry Hurle in their side, Wales limped to 102 all out with seamer Joe Carson, a former Essex Academy player, taking five for 37 on his debut and his new ball partner Matt Burton three for 41.

Bowlers dominated the first round of group matches with batters generally struggling to find form at the start of the new season with the exception ofNorthumberland’s Ross Whitfield and Cumbria’s Harry Singh at the South Northumberland club in Gosforth.

Whitfield found his touch by making a competition-best 91 in a 95-ball innings included five sixes and he was well-supported by Harry Crawshaw, another former Durham batter, with 40 and Chris Youldon with 49.

Northumberland’s 274-9 was the day’s highest total but Cumbria made a brave effort to chase it down thanks to Singh’s 114.

The Lancashire batter shared a fourth wicket stand of 109 with his captain Michael Slack (53) and Cumbria were in the hunt until Singh was eighth out, bowled by off-spinner Max Williamson.

Williamson’s five for 41 was a career-best and Northumberland began their season with a 44 runs win.

Cambridgeshire beat Lincolnshire by six wickets in the other Group One match at Bracebridge Heath where former Leicestershire slow left-armer James Sykes took four for 43 to help dismiss the hosts for 125.

Cambridgeshire lost early wickets in reply but got home with 23 overs to spare thanks to an unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 92 between Joe Tetley (50 not out) and Ben Saunders (46 not out).

National Counties Trophy

Group One

Bracebridge Heath: Lincolnshire 125 (James Sykes 4-43), Jack Loveday (3-13), Cambridgeshire 126-4 (Joe Tetley 50 not out, Ben Saunders 42 not out). Cambridgeshire won by six wickets.

South Northumberland CC: Northumberland 274-9 (Ross Whitfield 91, Chris Youldon 49, Harry Crawshaw 40), Cumbria 230 (Harry Singh 114, Michael Slack 53, Max Williamson 5-41). Northumberland won by 44 runs.

Group Two

Eastnor: Herefordshire 145 (Sinel Gunurathne 46, Luke Powell 46, Cameron Jones (3-32), Shropshire 149-4 (Theo Wylie 42). Shropshire won by six wickets.

Fakenham: Suffolk 203 (Darren Ironside 44), Norfolk79 (Matt Wareing 5-27, Dan Shanks 3-4). Suffolk won by 124 runs.

Group Three

St Just: Cornwall 113 (Harry Welch 3-31, Tom Davis 3-37), Oxfordshire 94 (Scott Kellow 4-16). Cornwall won by 10 runs.

North Devon CC: Buckinghamshire 134 (Joe Heywood 3-34), Devon 138-4 (Lawrence Walker 52 not out, James Horler 49 not out). Devon won by six wickets.

Group Four

Hitchin: Cheshire 68 (Jack Plom 3-20), Hertfordshire71-0. Hertfordshire won by 10 wickets.

Lisvane: Dorset 238-7 (Fin Gordon 82, Jacob Gordon 62), Wales NC 102 (Joe Carson 5-37, Matt Burton 3-41). Dorset won by 136 runs.

📸 by Roger Byrne