MINOR COUNTIES Bevan spins Wales to victory
- Details
- Created on Tuesday, 06 August 2019 09:37
- Last Updated on Monday, 12 August 2019 08:39
- Published on Tuesday, 06 August 2019 09:58
- Written by PAUL BOLTON Minor Counties cricket correspondent
Wales ended a three-year wait for a Minor Counties Championship victory by defeating hosts Wiltshire by 139 runs inside two days at the South Wilts club in Salisbury.Off-spinner Tom Bevan led Wales to the landmark victory by taking five for 59 – his maiden five wicket haul in the championship – to dismiss Wiltshire for 154 in their second innings.
Off-spinner Joe King worked hard to keep Wiltshire in the contest by equalling his championship-best figures of six for 56 but the damage had been inflicted in the first innings.
Wales’ win was their first in three-day cricket since they beat Devon by seven wickets at Pontarddulais in June 2016.
Cheshire also won inside two day, beating Devon by an innings and seven runs at Alderley Edge.
Solid batting down the order gave Cheshire a lead 220 and Devon were then dismissed for 213 with former Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire slow left-armer David Wainwright earning his professional’s fee by taking five for 43.
Former Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lancashire all-rounder Wayne White top scored for Devon, the county he represented last season, in Devon’s second innings.
Norfolk put a huge dent in Lincolnshire’s hopes of winning the Eastern Division for the fourth year running, by beating them by nine wickets inside two days at Horsford.
Slow left-armer Ashley Watson led Norfolk’s victory charge by taking a career-best seven for 58 to dismiss Lincolnshire for under 200 for the second time in as many days.
Sam Arthurton’s unbeaten half century saw Norfolk to a second consecutive win which put pressure on Staffordshire at the top of the Eastern Division table.
Staffordshire needed an unbeaten half century from Tim Maxfield for preventing their first innings from disintegrating against Cumberland at Checkley.
An unbeaten half century from captain Gary Pratt helped Cumberland to retain control of the match.
Five wickets from seamer Al Hasan, in only his second championship match, put Bedfordshire in command against Buckinghamshire at Flitwick
Market Deeping batsman Patrick Harington then pressed home Bedfordshire’s advantage by converting a maiden championship half century into an unbeaten half century.
Hertfordshire’s opening pair Dominic Chatfield and Steve Gale shared a first wicket partnership of 162 against Northumberland at Jesmond.
Chatfield made his second championship century and converted it into a competition-best 174 not out which gave Hertfordshire a first innings lead of 65.
But Durham batsman Michael Richardson responded with his second half century of the match on his Northumberland debut to leave the contest finely balanced.
Cambridgeshire conceded a first innings deficit of 92 despite half centuries from Waqas Hussain, Eddie Ballard – who shared an opening stand of 114 – and captain James Williams against Suffolk at Ipswich School.
Former Essex opener Jaik Mickleburgh followed up his first innings century with an unbeaten half century as Suffolk extended their lead by 76 by the close.
Former Cornwall captain Matt Robins was dismissed for 94 for the second consecutive innings, the latest against Dorset at Redruth.
Robins countered the threat posed by former Leicestershire off-spinner Jigar Naik, who took four for 74, and helped Cornwall build a first innings lead of 98.
Dorset had reduced the arrears to three by the close thanks to an unbroken second wicket partnership of 94 between skipper Luke Webb and Alex Eckland.
Seamer Matt Warner took five wickets to help Oxfordshire secure a first innings lead of 121 against Herefordshire at Challow & Childrey.
Jordan Garrett’s half century then set up the declaration which challenged Herefordshire to make 332 for victory, a target they reduced by 82 for the loss of opener Jujhar Johal.
Shropshire slow left-armer Warrick Fynn took five wickets for the third innings running but champions Berkshire remain favourites to make four wins out of four this season at Shifnal.
Seamer Andy Rishton took five wickets to help dismiss Shropshire for 142 which gave Berkshire a first innings lead of 208.
A half century from Euan Woods helped Berkshire to set up their declaration at 200 for eight which challenged Shropshire to make 409 for victory.
They reduced the target by 48 but lost captain Joe Carrasco and Xavie Clarke in doing so.
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