Ncca Cluberly Championship: Final Round - Day One Review

Joe Pocklington returned from duty with Nottinghamshire to stall Buckinghamshire’s push for the NCCA Cluberly Championship Eastern Division One title by making his maiden century for Lincolnshire on the opening day of the final round of matches at High Wycombe.

Pocklington has spent four weeks playing for Nottinghamshire in the Metro Bank One Day Cup where he was an ever-present in their eight group match which meant he had missed Lincolnshire’s first three Championship matches.

But he made his mark on his return by making a superb 153 from 149 which rescued Lincolnshire from 76 for four to 308 all out. He shared an important fifth wicket partnership of 100 with Ben Jones (69) before Tom Giles contributed 27 runs on his senior debut for Lincolnshire. Giles is a product of Lincolnshire’s pathway system but is now contracted to Nottinghamshire and he made his debut for them in one-day cup match against Surrey last week.

Pocklington was last out when he skied a pull to wicketkeeper George Harvey to give seamer Teddie Fleming his fourth wicket having struck 21 four and five sixes.

Buckinghamshire collected maximum bowling points to dislodge Suffolk, who have completed their programme, from the top of the table. Openers Billy Dodds and debutant Taran Toor reduced the deficit by 13 before the close.

Michael Hill’s 13th Championship century of his career kept alive Staffordshire’s hopes of retaining the Eastern Division title on an attritional day against Cambridgeshire at Peterborough.

Hill’s 112 not out dominated Staffordshire’s 287 all out but he received valuable lower order support from Liam Hurt (34) and debutant Jack Batchelor (34) which lifted them from 156 for six to 287 for eight in their 90 overs.

Slow left-armer Aum Patel took four for 84 to help Cambridgeshire take full bowling points and openers Wayne White and Callum Guest reduced the arrears by 15.

Rain in the South West meant there were short rations in both the Western Division One matches but leaders Devon made up for lost time by reducing Oxfordshire to 107 for six in the 33.4 overs that were possible in the evening session at Sidmouth.

It could have been worse for Oxfordshire without cameos from Luke Hayes (32) and Freddie Smith (30 not out) with Sam Read taking three for 30 and Lawrence Walker four slip catches.

Herefordshire fared better after they were also asked to bat first by Cornwall at Redruth where Ben Chapman-Lilley and Cyrus Shafi opened with a partnership of 130.

Shafi made 89 – his maiden Championship half-century – while Chapman-Lilley ended a truncated day unbeaten on 59 with Herefordshire 186 for four.

Joe Eckland made his third century in successive matches for Dorset which ended Cheshire’s slim hopes of topping Western Division Two and winning a swift return to the top flight.

Eckland, who is contracted to Hampshire, made 137 and Greg Willows a competition-best 95 to help Dorset to 382 for eight declared. The declaration meant that Cheshire missed out on a bowling bonus point when they needed all four, plus maximum batting points and a victory to overtake Dorset and leaders Wiltshire.

Eckland and Willows added 167 for the third wicket with captain David Wainwright taking half of the wickets before his opposite number, Luke Webb, declared.

Cheshire lost Tom Hafil and Ryan O’Brien in closing on 46 for two.

Warrick Fynn made his first Championship century and helped Shropshire recover from 142 for seven to 253 all out against Wales NC in the first-ever Championship match at St Asaph.

Fynn, who has a first-class century to his name in his native South Africa, received excellent support from Rav Chahal (42) in an eight wicket stand of 71 with left-arm seamer Ollie Sherwood taking four for 50 to ensure the first day honours were shared.

Maiden centuries from Sol Bell and Sean Tindale gave Eastern Division Two leaders Northumberland the advantage against Bedfordshire at South Northumberland.

Former Durham batter Bell made 128 and Tindale 114 in his first appearance of the season – to take Northumberland to 373 for six in their 90 overs.

Bell shared partnerships of 128 for the first wicket with Harry Crawshaw (47) and 114 for the fifth with Tindale before John Oswell provided late acceleration with a rapid half-century.

Seamer Jake Tarling took a career-best four 112 but Bedfordshire, who began the day seven points behind Northumberland, dropped two bowling bonus points.

Norfolk, who need to beat Cumbria and hope that Northumberland and Bedfordshire draw to finish top, were frustrated by rain at Netherfield where only 40 and-a-half overs were bowled.

Cumbria reached 113 for two in that time with Nathan Waterston (57) and Ben Walkden (31 not out) adding 60 for the second wicket before Waterston pulled Callum Metcalf to deep midwicket.

NCCA Cluberly Championship

First day of three

Eastern Division One

High Wycombe: Lincolnshire 308 (Joe Pocklington 153, Ben Jones 69, Teddy Fleming 4-83), Buckinghamshire 13-0.

Peterborough: Staffordshire 287-8 (Michael Hill 112 not out, Aum Patel 4-84), Cambridgeshire 15-0.

Western Division One

Redruth: Herefordshire 186-4 (Cyrus Shafi 89, Ben Chapman-Lilley 59 not out) v Cornwall.

Sidmouth: Oxfordshire 107-6 v Devon.

Eastern Division Two

Netherfield: Cumbria 113-2 (Nathan Waterston 57) v Norfolk. 

South Northumberland CC: Northumberland 373-6 (Sol Bell 128, Sean Tindale 114, John Oswell 55 not out, Jake Tarling 4-112) vBedfordshire.

Western Division Two

Chester Boughton Hall: Dorset 382-8 dec (Joe Eckland 137, Greg Willows 95, David Wainwright 4-77), Cheshire 46-2.

St Asaph: Shropshire 253 (Warrick Fynn 110, Ollie Sherwood 4-50), Wales NC 15-0.