NCCA Cluberly Championship: Final Round - Day Two Review

Rain proved a disruptive – and potentially decisive - influence on the outcome of the Eastern and Western Division titles and the relegation places in the NCCA Cluberly Championship.

Play on the second day of the final round of matches was interrupted to varying degrees in all eight matches with the five games in the wetter western half of the country the worst affected.

It means that all four titles – Eastern and Western Divisions One and Two – and the two relegation places will decided on an intriguing final day of the regular season.

There were fewer showers and the most play at Peterborough where Cambridgeshire’s seventh wicket pair of Ben Saunders (90) and Aum Patel (73) shared a partnership of 165 which gave them a first innings lead of 48 over Staffordshire in Eastern Division One.

Cambridgeshire were wobbling at 160 for six when Saunders and Patel came together but they took them past Staffordshire’s 287 for eight and secured maximum batting points with each making their career-best scores in the competition.

Teenage off-spinner Jack Batchelor continued his impressive debut by following up his useful runs in Staffordshire’s first innings by taking three for 87.

Staffordshire, the defending Eastern Division champions, erased the deficit with James Kettleborough and Matt Morris adding 59 for the first wicket. Kettleborough was unbeaten on 39 when rain forced an early close with Staffordshire on 68 for one.

Although both Cambridgeshire and Staffordshire went into the final round of divisional matches needing points to eliminate their relegation concerns, they also knew that victory would put them in contention for the Eastern Division title if leadersBuckinghamshire were unable to beat Lincolnshire at High Wycombe.

Only 28.1 overs were possible there before heavy rain left pools of water standing on the outfield. In that time Buckinghamshire reached 90 for two with debutant opener Taran Toor unbeaten on 38 but with neither side being able to add to their haul of bonuspoints.

With Lincolnshire needing a win to stay up and Buckinghamshire aware that a win for either side at Peterborough will increase the pressure on them, some last day horse-trading between the captains is likely at High Wycombe.

Western Division One leaders Devon took Oxfordshire’s last four first innings wickets to dismiss them for 172 at Sidmouth.

Freddie Smith held up Devon with a half-century and off-spinner Sam Read took a second successive six wicket haul against Oxfordshire following his career-best six for 27 at Banbury last season.

There was then a lengthy rain break before Matt Thompson, playing what will be his last match if Devon do not top the division, led their response with 47 before he went LBW to Ben Lucking.

Off-spinner George Tait took five wickets which restricted Devon’s progress but Seb Linnitt and Ben Privett ensured they gained a small first innings lead in a seventh wicket stand of 49. Linnitt was unbeaten on 34 and Devon 198 for nine at the end of a disruptedday.

It was wetter at Redruth where play eventually got underway in late afternoon and Herefordshire opener Ben Chapman-Lilley added 26 to his overnight 59 not out before he fell LBW to Cornwall seamer Will MacVicar.

Chapman-Lilley added 52 for the fifth wicket with Luke Tulacz who went on to make 71 not out, securing maximum bonus points when he lofted Alex Blake for a four from the first ball of the 90th over. When Imaad Mahmood was bowled two balls later Cornwall securedfull bowling points and Herefordshire declared.

Cornwall lost opener Tom Orpe to Sam Keeling-Wright in reducing Herefordshire’s lead by 25.

Northumberland tightened their grip on the Eastern Division Two title by dismissing Bedfordshire, their closest rivals, for 248 which gave them a first innings lead of 125 at the South Northumberland club in Newcastle.

Former Cambridgeshire slow left-armer Harrison Craig made his mark as a batter on his debut for Bedfordshire with a career-best 86. Nabil Moughal (36) helped Craig add 110 for the seventh wicket in the only significant partnership.

Slow left-armer Joe Stuart continued to impress in his maiden season of National Counties cricket by taking four for 53 with seamer Sean Tindale taking three for 42, including the wicket of Craig.

Northumberland openers Harry Crawshaw and Sol Bell extended the lead with a partnership of 59 with former Durham man Crawshaw striking four sixes in his 84-ball 70. Northumberland had stretched their lead to 254 with eight wickets in hand by the close.

Norfolk saw their hopes of overtaking Northumberland and Bedfordshire recede as rain completely washed out the second day against Cumbria at Netherfield.

There was no play before lunch in either of the two Western Division Two matches, 35 miles apart at Chester Boughton Hall and St Asaph.

Play got underway slightly earlier at Chester where Cheshire’s Henry Murray and Luke Young frustrated Dorset’s push for the win they need to secure promotion ahead of Wiltshire.

Murray and Young came together with Cheshire on 127 for four but they removed the threat of the follow-on in a fifth wicket partnership of 122.

Young fell for 64 to a smart slip catch by Alex Eckland off slow left-armer Mo Abbas but Murray went on to compile his maiden century before he was bowled by Joe Carson for 109.

Cheshire’s last wicket pair of David Wainwright and Andy Dufty secured the fourth batting bonus point and restricted Dorset’s first innings advantage to 45.

Dorset took the lead to 50 by the close but lost nightwatchman Will Bere who was bowled by Xander Selby’s first ball of the second innings.

Up the A35, Wales NC captain Cameron Herring made an unbeaten century in the wooden spoon decider against Shropshire.

Herring made 107 not out, his fifth Championship century, which gave Wales a first innings lead of just one and, in effect, made the match a one innings contest.

Earlier Mathew Ryan made a competition-best 42 on his home club ground before he went LBW to off-spinner Joe Stanley who finished with five for 94.

NCCA Cluberly Championship

Second day of three

Eastern Division One

High Wycombe: Lincolnshire 308 (Joe Pocklington 153, Ben Jones 69, Teddy Fleming 4-83), Buckinghamshire 90-2 (Taran Toor 38 not out).

Peterborough: Staffordshire 287-8 (Michael Hill 112 not out, Aum Patel 4-84) & 68-1, Cambridgeshire 335 (Ben Saunders 90, Aum Patel 73, Callum Guest 48).

Western Division One

Redruth: Herefordshire 328-9 dec (Cyrus Shafi 89, Ben Chapman-Lilley 85, Luke Tulacz 71 not out), Cornwall 25-1.

Sidmouth: Oxfordshire 172 (Freddie Smith 54, Sam Read 6-43), Devon 198-9 (George Tait 5-66).

Eastern Division Two

Netherfield: Cumbria 113-2 (Nathan Waterston 57) v Norfolk. No play on Tuesday – rain.

South Northumberland CC: Northumberland 373-6 (Sol Bell 128, Sean Tindale 114, John Oswell 55 not out, Jake Tarling 4-112) & 129-2 (Harry Crawshaw 70), Bedfordshire 248 (Harrison Craig 85, Joe Stuart 4-53).

Western Division Two

Chester Boughton Hall: Dorset 382-8 dec (Joe Eckland 137, Greg Willows 95, David Wainwright 4-77) & 5-1, Cheshire 337-9 (Henry Murray 109, Luke Young 64).

St Asaph: Shropshire 253 (Warrick Fynn 110, Ollie Sherwood 4-50), Wales NC 254 (Cameron Herring 107 not out, Joe Stanley 5-94).

📸 Roger Byrne