NCCA 50-over Trophy 2025 - Week 2 Review - Monday

Norfolk’s defence of the National Counties Trophy was ended by a five wickets defeat by Herefordshire at Brockhampton.

Norfolk needed to beat Herefordshire and their final group match against Staffordshire to have any hope of progressing to the quarter-finals. Instead a third straight defeat in Group Two meant an early exit with Norfolk’s fate sealed by an outstanding all-round performance from Olly Walker.

Seamer Walker took four for 52 to restrict Norfolk to 246 for eight in their 50 overs and then struck an unbeaten 108 from 97 balls – his second Trophy century – to see Herefordshire home with six overs to spare.

The match looked finely balanced when Walker was joined by Alex Hinkley with Herefordshire on 141 for but the pair saw them home without further alarm in a county record sixth wicket partnership of 107.

Norfolk’s innings included half-centuries from Alfie Cooper and Ben Wilcox but they lost skipper and potential match-winner Sam Arthurton, bowled by James Rudge, for a duck to the third ball of the match.

Suffolk followed up their opening day victory over Norfolk with another win on the road, this time a 67 runs victory over Staffordshire at Bignall End.

A competition-best 82 from opener Ollie Burle – who had made only 16 runs in two previous innings in the Trophy – helped to lay the foundations for a substantial total but it was Josh Cantrell’s aggressive 54 not out from 27 balls that eventually boosted them to 312 for six.

Cantrell then took three for 53 with his leg breaks to restrict Staffordshire to 245 with the loss of five wickets for 15 undoing much of the hard work of Matt Morris (55) and Nils Priestley (50).

Off-spinner Joe King equalled Wiltshire’s best Trophy bowling figures of six for 30 to set up a five wickets win over Wales NC at Warminster in Group Four.

King’s return matches the figures of former Worcestershire seamer Nick Harrison, also against Wales, at Pontarddulais 15 years ago.

Wales, missing their Glamorgan contingent, again relied heavily on player/coach Brad Wadlan whose 70 nursed them to a total of 189 but Wiltshire chased it down with 19 overs to spare thanks to Jake Goodwin’s half century.

Dorset made it two wins out of two by beating Hertfordshire by 47 runs at Wimborne.

Brothers Finn and Jacob Gordon again combined effectively with support from Alex Eckland to take Dorset to 248 for eight.

Hertfordshire responded with a series of cameo innings, the highest 42 from Dominic Chatfield, which were not enough to save them from successive away defeats.

Northumberland all but booked their place in the quarter-finals by beatingCambridgeshire in a high-scoring Group One contest at Peterborough.

John Oswell’s spectacular 107 not out helped Northumberland to pile up 331 for five which was again the day’s highest total.

Oswell reached 50 from 45 balls but needed only 12 more deliveries to complete his second Trophy century which included ten fours and seven sixes.

His assault overshadowed a third successive score of 50 or more from Ross Whitfield and a second in as many days from opener Alasdair Appleby.

Cambridgeshire pushed Northumberland hard with Ben Claydon making 78 and Lee Thomason his maiden century in the competition – 103 from 93 balls.

Lincolnshire opener Ben Wright also made his maiden Trophy century and finished on the losing side as Bedfordshire triumphed by five wickets at Dunstable.

Despite Wright’s 101 and 48 from Jordan Cook, Lincolnshire mustered only 227 and Bedfordshire chased it down with 20 balls to spare thanks to a county record fourth wicket partnership of 161 between captain George Thurstance, with his second half-century of the Bank Holiday weekend, and former Hampshire batter Oli Soames.

Berkshire opener Johnny Connell was another man in form as he followed his 65 against Oxfordshire on Sunday with his first Trophy century in the 62 runs victory overCornwall at Slough.

Connell’s 120 from 132 balls included 12 fours and two sixes with Rhys Lewis sharing an opening partnership of 83 with him.

Will MacVicar and Graham Wagg shared six wickets to restrict Berkshire to 256 with Andy Rishton (22) the only other batter to reach 20.

Rishton then reduced Cornwall to 19 for three from which they never fully recovered. Captain Paul Smith (42), Max Tryfonos (34) and Xavie Clarke (47) played defiant innings but Tommy Sturgess took three for 28 against his former county who were dismissed for 194 with five overs unused.

Oxfordshire opened their account after two defeats with a 90 runs victory overDevon at Abingdon Vale, where they were hosting a match for the first time.

Solid batting down the order, including half-centuries for Dylan Driscoll and Hayden Rossouw, took Oxfordshire to 264 with Ben Privett’s competition-best figures of four 45 proving to be Devon’s highlight.

Captain James Horler held Devon’s innings together with 60 but Matt Thompson (32) was the only other batter to reach 30.

Leg-spinner Henry Welch unpicked the lower order as Devon came up well short, dismissed for 174 with more than ten overs unused.

National Counties Trophy

Group One

Dunstable: Lincolnshire 227 (Ben Wright 176, Jordan Cook 48), Bedfordshire 229-4 (George Thurstance 90 not out, Oli Soames 73). Bedfordshire won by six wickets.

Peterborough: Northumberland 331-5 (John Oswell 107 not out, Ross Whitfield 79, Alasdair Appleby 59), Cambridgeshire 316-9 (Lee Thomason 103, Ben Claydon 78). Northumberland won by 15 runs.

Group Two

Brockhampton: Norfolk 246-8 (Alfie Cooper 59, Ben Wilcox 55, Olly Walker 4-52),Herefordshire 248-5 (Olly Walker 108 not out, Alex Hinkley 40 not out, Taylor Cornall 40). Herefordshire won by five wickets.

Bignall End: Suffolk 312-6 (Ollie Burle 82, Josh Cantrell 54 not out), Staffordshire 245 (Matt Morris 55, Nils Priestley 50). Suffolk won by 67 runs.

Group Three

Slough: Berkshire 256 (Johnny Connell 120, Rhys Lewis 47), Cornwall 194(Xavie Clarke 47, Paul Smith 42). Berkshire won by 62 runs.

Abingdon Vale: Oxfordshire 264 (Dylan Driscoll 78, Hayden Rossouw 55, George Tait 44, Ben Privett 4-45) Devon 174 (James Horler 60, Henry Welch 4-31). Oxfordshire won by 90 runs.

Group Four

Wimborne: Dorset 248-8 (Finn Gordon 46, Jacob Gordon 41, Alex Eckland 40),Hertfordshire 201 (Dominic Chatfield 42). Dorset won by 47 runs

Warminster: Wales NC 189 (Brad Wadlan 70, Joe King 6-30), Wiltshire 193-5 (Jake Goodwin 72, Josh Kelly 43). Wiltshire won by five wickets.

📸 Roger Byrne