COUNTIES CRICKET Devon scorch to record-breaking 503
- Details
- Created on Monday, 15 August 2022 06:33
- Last Updated on Monday, 15 August 2022 06:45
- Published on Monday, 15 August 2022 06:33
- Written by PAUL BOLTON National Counties Cricket correspondent
Devon’s 503 for five against Shropshire at Bridgnorth in Western Division Two was their highest total in 120 years and has only been bettered by the county record 533 for seven they made against Dorset at Sherborne School in 1902.
The total included a Devon record third wicket partnership of 289 between Exmouth's James Horler (174) and Plympton's Elliot Hamilton (137) both scoring maiden centuries.
Shropshire lost Andre Bradford to the first ball of their reply but Oxford University batter George Hargrave nursed them through to the close on 71 for two.
There were career bests for Wiltshire’s eighth wicket pair Toby Kershaw and Josh Croom against Cornwall at the South Wilts club in Salisbury.
Kershaw made 94 on his competitive debut and Croom, who went into the match with an aggregate of 24 runs in his previous innings in the competition, making 95.
They shared a partnership of 183 which rescued Wiltshire after they had slipped from 77 without loss to 138 for seven.
Thanks to Kershaw and Croom, Wiltshire recovered to 346 all out with Tom Dinnis and Dan Lello sharing six wickets between them.
Cheshire captain Rob Sehmi returned from a broken finger with a century against Berkshire at Nantwich in Western Division One but his innings was overshadowed by a brutal assault by Andrew Jackson who clubbed 12 sixes in his 70-ball 93.
Jackson capitalised on the short straight boundaries and lifted off-spinner Euan Woods and slow left-armer Rhodri Lewis for five sixes each, including three in a row from one Woods over.
David Wainwright played a valuable supporting role with 89 not out in partnerships of 96 for the sixth wicket with Sehmi and 143 for the seventh with Jackson.
On a hot day of hard toil for the bowlers, Berkshire seamer Tom Nugent kept running in strongly and finished with four of Cheshire’s eight wickets.
Western Division One leaders Oxfordshire made 326 for nine against Dorset at Banbury thanks to 71 from captain Jonny Cater and useful contributions from Jamie Harrison (41) and Harry Smith (55) and a breezy 46 from George Tait.
Oxfordshire were kept honest by seamer David Scott who took five for 115 in 38 overs but Dorset slipped to 51 for four at the start of their second innings.
Michael Hill became the first Staffordshire batter to score three centuries in successive Championship innings against Suffolk at Checkley in Eastern Division One.
National Counties Championship
(First day of three)
Eastern Division One
Manor Park: Bedfordshire 393-8 (Amrit Basra 70, Sam Bates 69, James Kettleborough 64, Fayaz Homyoon 51), Norfolk 59-1.
Checkley: Staffordshire 423-5 (Michael Hill 152, Zen Malik 145), Suffolk 43-0.
Western Division One
Nantwich: Cheshire 451-8 (Rob Sehmi 108, Andrew Jackson 93, David Wainwright 89 not out), Berkshire 58-0.
Banbury: Oxfordshire 326-9 (Jonny Cater 71, Harry Smith 55, David Scott 5-115), Dorset 51-4.
Eastern Division Two
Furness: Hertfordshire 267 (Kishen Velani 134), Cumbria 107-4.
Jesmond: Buckinghamshire 362-9 (Michael Wells 179 not out, Michael Payne 64), Northumberland 40-4.
Western Division Two
Bridgnorth: Devon 503-5 (James Horler 174, Elliot Hamilton 137), Shropshire 71-2.
South Wilts CC: Wiltshire 346 (Josh Croom 95, Toby Kershaw 94), Cornwall 47-1.
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