NCCA Showcase Games Review

Cheshire and Lincolnshire produced the performances of the day by claiming the scalps first-class opposition in their Showcase Matches.

Cheshire beat Derbyshire by four wickets at Nantwich and Lincolnshire got home by five wickets against Nottinghamshire at the Lindum in Lincoln.

Debutant Bryn Llewellyn was Cheshire’s matchwinner with 91 not out on his county debut while Leicestershire batter Sam Evans got Lincolnshire home with one ball to spare with a superb unbeaten 132.

Llewellyn, who plays for Clifton Alliance in the Yorkshire North premier League, shared a sixth wicket partnership of 98 with Kevin Carroll (62) which got Cheshire to within nine of victory and he was there at the end to complete the chase with almost 15 overs in hand.

Earlier Cheshire captain Harry Dearden (four for 39) and Sam Grant (four for 42) had combined to dismiss Derbyshire for 242 which owed much to a seventh wickets stand of 127 between Brooke Guest (97) and Yousaf Bin Naeem (62).

The win was the perfect warm-up for Cheshire for their National Counties Trophy semi-final against holders Berkshire at Alderley Edge on August 4.

Lincolnshire’s target – 332 – was more demanding but Evans led a perfectly-paced chase with a 119-ball innings that included 16 fours.

It was Lincolnshire’s second win against first-class opposition in three seasons, following victory over Durham in 2022.

Earlier spinner Joe Pocklington took three wickets to check Nottinghamshire’s progress after Ben Slater had made 70.

Ben Wright (69) helped Evans to lay the foundations for Lincolnshire’s chase with a second wicket partnership of 113 and skipper Tom Keast (47) then sustained the chase.

Although the other 13 Showcase Matches played on Sunday went the way of the first-class counties there were some notable performances in defeat.

Cumbria leg-spinner Nico Watt took five for 43 to restrict Lancashire to 231 for eight in a rain-reduced 43 overs contest at Sedbergh School.

A half-century from Evan Williams kept Cumbria firmly in the hunt but their challenge stalled after he fell to a brilliant boundary catch by George Lavelle off the bowling of Harry Singh, both of whom have played for Cumbria this season.

Watt completed a good day’s work by making 29 not out as Cumbria were beaten by 39 runs.

Suffolk opener Darren Ironside made a superb century against Essex at Woolpit but it was not quite enough to bring victory.

Suffolk were set 348 to win and thanks to Ironside (108), Jack Beaumont (75) and Alex Oxley (55 not out) they gave their first-class neighbours some anxious moments before closing on 319 for four.

Essex’s total owed much to 181 from Feroze Khushi – who played for Suffolk between 2019 and 201.

Northumberland also threatened to defeat Durham for the second year running at Jesmond before Jonathan Bushnell (75 not out) and Paul Coughlin (48) saw the first-class side to a jittery three wickets win.

Harry Crawshaw top-scored with 38 against his former county and seamer Matty Scott took three for 35 to make Durham work hard for their win.

Hertfordshire also pushed Sussex hard thanks to a century from their former Derbyshire opener Archie Harrison at Arundel.

Sussex made 340 for six with Tom Haines (102) and Tom Clark (96) sharing an opening stand of 205.

But Harrison and Dominic Chatfield (69) replied with a second wicket partnership of 170 but the last seven wickets went down for 54 as Hertfordshire’s spirited performance ended in a 58 runs defeat.

There was drama at Fenner’s where Cambridgeshire’s match against Surrey was abandoned because of a dangerous pitch.

Cambridgeshire were 45 for two after 14 overs in response to Surrey’s 223 when umpires James Tredwell and Anthony Harris halted proceedings.

Surrey won by 15 runs under the DLS Method after Josh Blake (71) and Adam Thomas (62) had added 127 for their fifth wicket.

England slow left-armer Jack Leach shone with the bat to help Somerset beat Cornwall by 95 runs at Truro.

Leach (87) and Alfie Ogborne (51) added 68 for the eighth wicket which steered Somerset out of trouble.

Max Tryfonos top-scored with 46 for a Cornwall side missing their two professionals, Will MacVicar and Alex Blake.

Dorset went down by 140 runs to neighbours Hampshire at Wimborne where Toby Albert’s 132 was the centrepiece of Hampshire’s 336 for eight.

There were half-centuries for Fletcha Middleton (82) and Felix Organ – who played for Dorset in their National Counties Championship match against Wiltshire last weekend.

Will Tripcony replied with 92 but Dorset were undone by the pace of Muhammad Abbas, who finished with six for 31.

A century from George Bartlett (128) and a half-century from former Dorset wicketkeeper Lewis MacManus set up Northamptonshire’s 58 runs victory over Norfolk at Horsford.

Opener Sam Arthurton responded with 64 in Norfolk’s 254 for eight.

Middlesex, who were beaten by Berkshire two years ago, avoided another banana-skin with a 118 runs win overOxfordshire at Thame.

Luke Hollman, a former Berkshire all-rounder, top-scored with 73 for Middlesex and then took four for 68 to dismiss Oxfordshire for 215.

Yorkshire also ensured that there was no repeat of their defeat by Shropshire in the 1984 NatWest Trophy as they eased to a 247 runs win at Wellington.

Harry Duke’s century and fifties from James Wharton and George Hill helped Yorkshire to pile up 382 for five in their 50 overs.

George Hargrave (40) fought a lone hand in Shropshire’s reply with Dom Bess, the former England off-spinner, taking four for 20.

Former Shropshire all-rounder Ed Barnard made 143 from 113 balls to propel Warwickshire to a 122 runs win overStaffordshire at Knypersley.

Skipper James Kettleborough made 77 in Staffordshire’s reply but they were kept in check by Michael Booth and Jake Lintott who shared six wickets.

Worcestershire were the day’s early winners as they chased down Wales NC’s 182 inside 22 overs at Sudbrook.

Oxfordshire slow left-armer Tom Hinley took three for 37 on his Worcestershire debut and Ed Pollock, who began his county career with Herefordshire, plundered 120 not out from 66 balls to clinch a nine wickets win.

Wiltshire were beaten by seven wickets by Glamorgan on their return to Swindon.

Dylan Church continued his excellent recent form by making a half-century in Wiltshire’s 236 with Will Naish (49) again contributing useful runs down the order.

Seamer Ben Morris, who has played for Wales NC this season, took four for 57 before Tom Bevan – another Wales NC man – made 65 in Glamorgan’s successful chase.

Jersey international Asa Tribe saw Glamorgan home with more than ten overs to spare with 93 not out.

Cameron Parsons led Buckinghamshire to a thrilling three wickets win over Metro Bank Cup holders Leicestershire in their Showcase Match at Grace Road.

The all-rounder followed up a tight bowling display by clobbering 75 not out from just 53 balls as Buckinghamshire chased down a target of 296 with eight balls to spare.

Buckinghamshire became the third National Counties side to claim the scalp of a first-class county in 24 hours, following Cheshire and Lincolnshire who beat Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire respectively on Sunday.

Buckinghamshire also had to do it the hard way, playing Leicestershire at their own headquarters as one of only two National Counties not to enjoy home advantage this season.

It was Buckinghamshire’s second victory over first-class opposition in Showcase Matches following a four wickets success over Surrey at High Wycombe in 2022. For Leicestershire, who begin their cup defence against Nottinghamshire on Wednesday, it was a second defeat by a National Counties side in as many seasons having lost to Staffordshire at Knypersley 12 months ago.

Buckinghamshire’s challenge appeared to have stalled when all-rounder Ed Bragg was caught behind to leave them on 205 for seven but Conner Haddow gave Parsons splendid support in an unbroken eighth wicket partnership of 94 in 10 overs.

Haddow, who was unbeaten on 21 from 28 balls, rotated the strike intelligently while Parsons found the boundary – eight fours and two sixes – to keep Buckinghamshire in the hunt.

The turning point came in the 42nd over when slow left-armer Liam Trevaskis leaked 14 runs and Parsons and Haddow suddenly got the asking rate down to a manageable run-a-ball.

Parsons played a nerveless innings and thumped former Berkshire seamer Tom Scriven for consecutive boundaries to seal a memorable victory.

Bragg (30 from 25 balls) also played an important part in sustaining Buckinghamshire’s challenge after Vansh Jani had taken his chance to impress with a polished 72-ball 70.

Jani and acting-captain Alexei Kervezee added 68 for the fourth wicket but they perished in the space of seven balls with Jani run out in a mix-up with his partner and Kervezee picking out long-on.

Earlier Sam Evans had gone from National Counties hero to villain in the space of 24 hours. Having made a match-winning century for Lincolnshire against Nottinghamshire on Sunday, Evans returned to his native county and top-scored with 86 in Leicestershire’s 295 for six.

Parsons struck two early blows when he had Harry Swindells LBW and Sol Budinger caught in the deep before Evans and Lewis Hill added 145 for the third wicket.

But Buckinghamshire were tenacious in the field and Haddow broke the partnership when wicketkeeper Ross Richardson held a sharp chance.

Evans missed out on his second Showcase century when he lifted off-spinner Max Uttley to long-off and despite a late thrash from Trevaskis – 45 not out from 29 balls – Buckinghamshire succeeded in keeping Leicestershire to under 300 on a good batting pitch.

Showcase Matches Results & Stats Overview

Fenner’s: Surrey 223 (Josh Blake 71, Adam Thomas 62), Cambridgeshire 45-2. Surrey won by 15 runs (DLS)

Nantwich: Derbyshire 242 (Brooke Guest 97, Yousaf Bin Naeem 62, Harry Dearden 4-39, Sam Grant 4-42), Cheshire 243-6 (Bryn Llewellyn 91 not out), Kevin Carroll 62). Cheshire won by four wickets.

Truro: Somerset 272-9 (Jack Leach 87, Alfie Ogborne 51), Cornwall 177. Somerset won by 95 runs.

Sedbergh School: Lancashire 231-8 (Harry Singh 76, George Bell 63, Nico Watt 5-43). Cumbria 192-9 (Evan Williams 64). Lancashire won by 39 runs.

Wimborne: Hampshire 336-8 (Toby Albert 132, Fletcha Middleton 82, Felix Organ 51), Dorset 196 (Will Tripcony 92, Muhammad Abbas 6-31). Hampshire won by 140 runs.

Lincoln (Lindum CC): Nottinghamshire 333-6 (Ben Slater 70), Lincolnshire 334-5 (Sam Evans 132 not out, Ben Wright 69). Lincolnshire won by five wickets.

Horsford: Northamptonshire 312 (George Bartlett 128, Lewis MacManus 50), Norfolk 254-8 (Sam Arthurton 64). Northamptonshire won by 58 runs.

Jesmond: Northumberland 192, Durham 193-7 (Jonathan Bushnell 75 not out). Durham won by three wickets.

Thame: Middlesex 333-8 (Luke Hollman 73, Sam Robson 69), Oxfordshire 215 (Luke Hollman 4-68). Middlesex won by 118 runs.

Wellington: Yorkshire 382-5 (Harry Duke 106, James Wharton 73, George Hill 63), Shropshire 135 (Dom Bess 4-20). Yorkshire won by 247 runs.

Knypersley: Warwickshire 316-7 (Ed Barnard 143, Michael Burgess 63), Staffordshire 194 (James Kettleborough 77). Warwickshire won by 122 runs.

Woolpit: Essex 347 (Feroze Khushi 181, Robin Das 62), Suffolk 319-4 (Darren Ironside 108, Jack Beaumont 75, Alex Oxley 55 not out). Essex won by 28 runs.

Arundel: Sussex 340-6 (Tom Haines 102, Tom Clark 96), Hertfordshire 282 (Archie Harrison 126, Dominic Chatfield 69, Jack Carson 4-51). Sussex won by 58 runs.

Sudbrook: Wales NC 182, Worcestershire 183-1 (Ed Pollock 120 not out, Rehan Edavalath 60). Worcestershire won by nine wickets.

Swindon: Wiltshire 236 (Dylan Church 46, Ben Morris 4-57), Glamorgan 238-3 (Asa Tribe 93 not out, Tom Bevan 65). Glamorgan won by seven wickets.

Leicester: Leicestershire 295-6 (Sam Evans 86, Lewis Hill 71), Buckinghamshire 299-7 (Cameron Parsons 75 not out, Vansh Jani 70). Buckinghamshire beat Leicestershire by three wickets.

Tuesday July 23 (11am)

Dunstable: Bedfordshire v Kent

Slough: Berkshire v Sussex

Exmouth: Devon v Somerset

📸 David Griffin Photography