MINOR COUNTIES Winners Wiltshire face waiting game

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Created on Tuesday, 03 September 2019 06:16

Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 September 2019 08:43

Published on Tuesday, 03 September 2019 06:16

Written by PAUL BOLTON Minor Counties cricket correspondent

Shropshire will play in Division Two of the Western Division when the Championship is reorganised next season after they were beaten by seven wickets by Wiltshire inside two days at Marlborough.

Slow left-armer Jake Lintott took five for 21 to finish with impressive match figures of eight for 38 as Shropshire managed to only equal their first innings total of 123.

Wiltshire wobbled at 30 for three but William Wade and Brad Dawson them home with an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 49.

Wiltshire must now wait for the completion of the other Western Division matches today to discover whether their season’s haul of 82 points will secure a top five place and First Division cricket next year.

Wiltshire’s position was strengthened by Oxfordshire’s struggles at Thame where they were made to follow on by Cheshire.

Oxfordshire were shot out for 110 – with eight batsmen failing to reach double figures - in their first innings but fared much better when they followed on thanks to career-best from Oxford’s Olliver Ebsworth-Burland and useful lower order runs from Matthew Warner and Russell White.

Cheshire reduced their target of 73 by seven without losing a wicket before the close.

Devon improved their chances of First Division cricket next season after half centuries from acting-captain Peter Trego, Matt Thompson and James Burke established a first innings lead of 100 over Cornwall at Exeter.

Burke then took two wickets to help reduce Cornwall to 185 for six, although Matt Robins will be there to carry the visitors’ hopes on the last day.

Herefordshire opener Connor Smith fell four runs short of a century as he was dismissed for 96 against Wales at Abergavenny.

Smith, who plays his club cricket for Kidderminster, was supported by Shameer Ahmed but Herefordshire still trailed by 20 on first innings as seamer Joe Voke took five wickets for Wales.

Voke followed up with 77 not out as Wales extended their lead to 233 with six second innings wickets remaining.

Defending Minor Counties champions Berkshire, who have already secured the Western Division title, moved into a strong position to push for their fifth win of the season against Dorset at Wargrave.

First they bowled Dorset out for 150 in their first innings with spinners Euan Woods, Chris Peploe and Ali Akbar sharing seven wickets.

Berkshire decided not to enforce the follow on and opted to build on a first innings lead of 189 which they did with Middlesex T20 player Dan Lincoln making his second half century of the match.

Dorset were set an unlikely 420 to win but openers Luke Webb (45 not out) and Tom Prest (43 not out) made a spirited and positive start to the chase with an unbroken partnership of 92.

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