NATIONAL COUNTIES T20 Dorset win three on spin

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Last Updated on Monday, 24 April 2023 21:33

Published on Monday, 24 April 2023 15:51

Written by PAUL BOLTON National Counties Cricket correspondent

Dorset made it three straight wins in National Counties T20 Trophy Group Two with a six wickets victory over Devon in a low-scoring opening contest at Exmouth before rain washed out the second match.

Devon struggled to 92 for seven against miserly bowling with Rob Pack leading the way with two for 20 with good support from David Scott (one for 14) and Hampshire’s Ross Whiteley (one for 18).

Scott then impressed with the bat, making an unbeaten 41 from 46 balls and sharing a fourth wicket stand of 48 with captain Luke Webb (26) that took Dorset to within four of their target.

Rain also interrupted the other Group Two double-header at Wadebridge but it did not prevent Cornwall from winning both matches against Wiltshire.

The first was reduced to just six overs-a-side but that was time enough for Wiltshire to struggle against Ben Ellis, who took a competition-best three for 13 in his two overs.

Wiltshire’s total of 39 for six always looked inadequate and Cornwall eased home by nine wickets with 11 balls to spare with former Cambridgeshire batter Ben Seabrook making 21 not out on his debut for his new county.

The second match was played in full but Wiltshire again posted a below-par total of 131 for six which owed much to 33 from captain Ed Young and the same score from Ben Draper.

Seamer Jordan Thomas took three for 20 with Ellis weighing in with two more wickets before a half-century from Christian Purchase saw Cornwall home with four overs to spare.

Josh Croom did most to check Cornwall’s progress with three for 14 while Warwickshire left-arm wrist spinner Jake Lintott made a low-key seasonal debut for Wiltshire.

Lintott, fresh from a stint playing List A cricket for Mohammedan Sporting Club in the Dhaka Premier Division, encountered very different conditions to those he left behind in Bangladesh last week.

He bowled five wicketless overs across the two matches at a cost of 46 and made 12 runs opening the batting, top-scoring for Wiltshire with ten in the first match.

Zach Lion-Cachet kept alive Oxfordshire’s hopes of successfully defending their National Counties T20 title with a brilliant maiden century which set up a thumping win over Bedfordshire in the second match of their double-header at Dunstable.

The 19-year-old, who has been trialling with Sussex, plundered 101 from 56 balls – including five sixes - and he shared a competition record second wicket stand of 175 with Tom Hinley.

Lion Cachet was making only his second T20 appearance for Oxfordshire having made his competition debut in the first match at Dunstable earlier in the day. He was given his chance because Sussex opener Harrison Ward was unavailable and he proved why Oxfordshire rate him so highly.

Hinley, a former Sussex staffer, made 83 not out to help Oxfordshire pile up 207 for one, a total that proved far too many for Bedfordshire.

Lion Cachet’s innings helped Oxfordshire bounce back from a seven wickets defeat in the opener - as they did against Buckinghamshire last week - with the victory in the second match which helped the holders to stay in touch with Berkshire who looked in ominous form in completing a double over Buckinghamshire in the other Group Four double-header.

In the opening match at Dunstable Oxfordshire were dismissed for 106 after they were put with their last three wickets falling to the last three balls of the innings, two to seamer Amrit Basra and captain Jonny Cater run out off the last delivery.

Bedfordshire captain George Thurstance guided his side to victory with a half century and Worcestershire’s Kashif Ali also contributed to the win with two for 21 with his leg breaks and 29 in a second wicket stand of 53 with Thurstance.

It was a very different story in the second match where Bedfordshire crumbled to 22 for six after Lion-Cachet and Hinley had flayed their attack.

Seamer Prav Chahal took five for 17 and although former Hampshire and Dorset batter Oli Soames led a mini-recovery with 39 not out, Bedfordshire were 96 runs adrift of their DRS target when rain brought an early end to their reply.

National Counties T20

Group One

South Northumberland CC: Staffordshire 158-3(James Kettleborough 81 not out), Northumberland 159-3 (Alasdair Appleby 45). Northumberland won by seven wickets. Staffordshire 161-3 (Nils Priestley 97), Northumberland 105-7. Staffordshire won by 56 runs.

Shifnal: Shropshire v Cheshire. Both matches abandoned.

Group Two

Wadebridge: Wiltshire 39-6 (Ben Ellis 3-13), Cornwall 40-1. Cornwall won by nine wickets. Wiltshire 131-6 (Jordan Thomas 3-20), Cornwall 132-6 (Christian Purchase 56, Josh Croom 3-14). Cornwall won by six wickets.

Exmouth: Devon 92-7, Dorset 93-4 (David Scott 41 not out). Dorset won by six wickets. Match two abandoned.

Group Three

Hitchin: Lincolnshire 157-5 (Jack Timby 61), Hertfordshire 158-5 (Charlies Scott 53, Charlie Mumford 52). Hertfordshire won by five wickets. Lincolnshire 169-7 (Ben Wright 42), Hertfordshire 170-8 (Charlie Scott 45 not out). Hertfordshire won by two wickets.

Ipswich School: Suffolk 73-7 (Mohammed Danyaal 3-15), Cambridgeshire – No result. Match two abandoned.

Group Four

Dunstable: Oxfordshire 106 (Amrit Basra 3-21), Bedfordshire 109-3 George Thurstance 53), Bedfordshire won by seven wickets. Oxfordshire 207-1 (Zach Lion-Cachet 101 not out, Tom Hinley 83 not out), Bedfordshire 83-7 (Prav Chahal 5-17). Oxfordshire won by 96 runs (DLS Method).

High Wycombe: Buckinghamshire 104 (Andy Rishton 3-19), Berkshire 107-2 (Savin Perera 50), Berkshire won by eight wickets. Buckinghamshire 144-6 (Andy Rishton 3-33), Berkshire 148-5 (Andy Rishton 62 not out). Berkshire won by five wickets.

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