NCCA 50-Over Trophy 2025 - Week 4 Review

Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Buckinghamshire and Cheshire booked their places in the quarter-finals of the National Counties Trophy on a tense final day of group matches.

They joined the already-qualified Northumberland, Shropshire, Berkshire and Dorset in the last eight which will be played on Sunday June 1.

The quartet qualified in different ways with Cambridgeshire beating Bedfordshire by 58 runs in a straight eliminator at Sawston to finish top of Group One and secure a home quarter-final against Suffolk, who finished up as runners-up to Shropshire in Group Two.

Suffolk progressed from Group Two despite going down by 36 runs to Shropshire at Mildenhall with their superior net run rate denying Herefordshire, who completed their group programme last week, the chance to go through.

In Group Three Buckinghamshire romped to an eight wickets win over Oxfordshire at Tring but then faced an anxious wait for the outcome of the Devon v Berkshire match at Blundell’s School. Buckinghamshire required Berkshire to do them a favour by beating Devon which they did by two wickets and with two balls to spare as they chased down a target of 328.

Cheshire made sure of their quarter-final place by ending Dorset’s unbeaten run in Group Four with a 90 runs victory in a high-scoring contest at Didsbury. Cheshire’s win ended Wiltshire’s quarter-final hopes after they had claimed the first win of the day, a ten wickets romp againstHertfordshire at Hitchin.

At Sawston Cambridgeshire were indebted to their captain Wayne White whose 86 saw them to 240 all out with useful cameos down the order from Lee Thomason (32), James Sykes (28 not out), Ben Claydon (25) and Henry Wilson (22).

Former Hampshire batter Oli Soames led Bedfordshire’s reply with a fluent half century and, at 113 for two in the 19th over the visitors appeared to be favourites. But Soames went LBW to former Bedfordshire slow left-armer George Darlow, captain George Thurstance was smartly run out by Claydon and Nabir Moughal was bowled by Sykes as Bedfordshire lost three wickets for four runs.

Jack Loveday’s three wicket burst secured a third straight win for Cambridgeshire who knocked Northumberland off top spot. Northumberland now face an away quarter-final against Shropshire who banked a fourth straight win after George Hargrave (75) and Rahul Kaushal, with 65 in his second county match, had opened with a partnership of 118 at Mildenhall.

Tom Fell backed the openers up with 42 before spinners Jack Beaumont and Darren Ironside shared seven wickets to check Shropshire’s progress.

Beaumont then made 45 to launch Suffolk’s chase and Alex Oxley followed up with a half-century but the former Worcestershire pair of Cameron Jones and Jacques Banton put squeeze on.

Staffordshire were unable to capitalise on Suffolk’s defeat as they went down by eight wickets against Norfolk, the deposed champions, at Sprowston.

Staffordshire were again heavily reliant on Michael Hill and Matt Morris for getting them to 199 but Norfolk chased it down with more than five overs to spare with captain Sam Arthurton finding form with his first century of the season.

Buckinghamshire needed just 26.4 overs to reach their target of 161 against Oxfordshire with Cam Hemp and Aadi Sharma making half centuries and sharing a second wicket partnership of 124.

Oxfordshire had been stifled by an excellent team bowling performance from Buckinghamshire led by off-spinner Max Uttley’s three for 26.

Buckinghamshire’s victory meant that Devon had to beat Berkshire to secure second place in Group Three and they were well-placed at the half-way stage in Tiverton having made 327 for seven.

Captain James Horler, with a competition-best 78, led a solid batting display for Devon with Matt Thompson and Sam Elstone – his first in the Trophy – also making half centuries.

Berkshire had only once chased a higher target – 379 against Suffolk in 2011 – in the competition and the early departure of the in-form Rhys Lewis was a setback.

But Johnny Connell continued his superb start to the season with his second century and he shared partnerships of 109 for the second wicket with Charlie Dunnett (51) and 102 for the third with his captain, Dan Lincoln (75).

But Berkshire stuttered when victory was in sight with four wickets, including Connell, going down for 21 and they still needed 42 in five overs when the ninth wicket pair of Andy Rishton and Sulaiman Akhtar came together.

Rishton’s experience proved significant as he struck three sixes in his unbeaten 37 from 23 balls but it was Akhtar who got the winning runs, when he took two from the fourth ball of Jamie Stephen’s final over. Devon were left to rue dropping three catches in the first 20 overs of Berkshire’s innings.

Cheshire’s progress to the quarter-finals was confirmed by competition-best performances from opening batter Dan Newton and former Leicestershire and Northamptonshire left-armer seamer Michael Finan.

Newton’s 111-ball 116 was the centrepiece of Cheshire’s 364 for eight and although Alex Eckland replied with a first Trophy century of his own for Dorset, Finan took six for 46 including the last three wickets in four balls.

Newton shared a second wicket stand of 97 with Alex Money (63) before former Leicestershire left-hander Harry Dearden weighed in with 67 from 49 balls in Cheshire’s second 360-plus total in successive matches.

Eckland and Jacob Gordon (64) ensured that Dorset did not surrender their unbeaten record without a fight. They finished top of Group Four on net run rate and will now host Buckinghamshire on June 1 with Cheshire facing an away game against Berkshire.

Cheshire’s win meant disappointment for Wiltshire who needed only half of a scheduled match to beat Hertfordshire.

Captain Ed Young, the former Gloucestershire slow left-armer, claimed his Trophy best figures of five for 16 as Hertfordshire were shot out inside 31 overs.

Openers Jake Lintott and Jack Mynott chased down a target of 123 inside 19 overs with Warwickshire staff man Lintott making 70 not out from 63 balls and Mynott 45 not out.

Lincolnshire ended their campaign with a first win, by two wickets, againstCumbria at Furness but it was not quite enough to save them from finishing bottom of Group One.

Ben Walkden’s maiden century in National Counties cricket and half-centuries from Nathan Waterston, in his first appearance in two years, and Freddie Fallows (63 from 29 balls) took Cumbria to 266 for seven.

Lincolnshire paced their chase to perfection and got home with two overs to spare despite a late clatter of wickets to Michael Slack. Lincolnshire captain Tom Keast led the way with 59, ably supported by Pranav Pothula (42), Ben Wright (41) and Jordan Cook (40).

 National Counties Trophy

Sawston: Cambridgeshire 240 (Wayne White 86, Abi Sakande 3-30, Jake Tarling 3-59), Bedfordshire 182 (Oli Soames 59, Jamie Dunk 45, Jack Loveday 3-29). Cambridgeshire won by 58 runs.

Furness: Cumbria 266-7 (Ben Walkden 102, Freddie Fallows 63, Nathan Waterston 50), Lincolnshire 269-8 (Tom Keast 59, Pranav Pothula 42, Ben Wright 41 Jordan Cook 40, Michael Slack 4-52). Lincolnshire won by two wickets.

Group Two

Sprowston: Staffordshire 194 (Michael Hill 51, Matt Morris 40 Brett Stolworthy 3-23, Joe Everett 3-25), Norfolk 196-2 (Sam Arthurton 101). Norfolk won by eight wickets.

Mildenhall: Shropshire 235-9 (George Hargrave 75, Rahul Kaushal 65, Tom Fell 42, Jack Beaumont 4-43, Darren Ironside 3-40), Suffolk 199 (Alex Oxley 55, Jack Beaumont 55, Cameron Jones 3-28, Jacques Banton 3-35). Shropshire won by 36 runs.

Group Three

Tring: Oxfordshire 160 (Max Uttley 3-26), Buckinghamshire 163-2 (Cam Hemp 78, Aadi Sharma 67 not out). Buckinghamshire won by eight wickets.

Blundell’s School: Devon 327-7 (James Horler 78, Matt Thompson 76, Sam Elstone 62, Ben Privett 41, Toby Greatwood 3-79), Berkshire 328-8 (Johnny Connell 129, Dan Lincoln 75, Charlie Dunnett 51). Berkshire won by two wickets.

Group Four

Didsbury: Cheshire 364-8 (Dan Newton 116, Harry Dearden 67, Alex Money 63, Matt Burton 3-61), Dorset 274 (Alex Eckland 129, Jacob Gordon 64 Michael Finan 6-46). Cheshire won by 90 runs.

Hitchin: Hertfordshire 122 (Ed Young 5-16), Wiltshire 125-0 (Jacob Lintott 70 not out, Jack Mynott 45 not out). Wiltshire won by 10 wickets.