COUNTIES CRICKET T20 down to the wire...
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- Created on Saturday, 04 July 2026 07:07
- Last Updated on Saturday, 04 July 2026 07:13
- Published on Saturday, 04 July 2026 07:07
- Written by PAUL BOLTON Cricket Correspondent
The top three teams in each of the four groups will progress to the Super 12s – four mini tournaments hosted by each of the group winners – with Group Four the only one where all three qualifiers are already confirmed.
Cornwall and Devon, who meet at Werrington, will have the opportunity to top the group but if they take points off each other they could be overtaken by Wiltshire who host winless Herefordshire at Westbury.
In Group Three, four sides have the opportunity to progress. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire each have eight points with Berkshire top only on superior points difference.
Bedfordshire have home advantage against Berkshire at Luton while Buckinghamshire host Wales NC at Marlow. Although Wales are bottom of the group, a double on Sunday would put them in the equation for a Super 12s place.
Three counties – Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire – are scrapping for the last Super 12s place in Group Two. Norfolk and Lincolnshire, who have completed their group programme, have already qualified and Suffolk would have done had that not been deducted four points for fielding an unregistered player. Norfolk are guaranteed top spot whatever happens on Sunday and will host one of the Super 12 tournaments at Sprowston on August 9.
Suffolk now need to beat Hertfordshire twice in the first county matches staged at Mellis CC although one will suffice if Cambridgeshire drop points against Norfolk at Exning.
In Group One Shropshire, who have also completed their group programme, and Staffordshire are already through to the Super 12s. Staffordshire require one win against Cumbria at Carlisle to displace Shropshire at the top of the group while Cheshire need to win both matches against Northumberland at the South Northumberland club in Gosforth to overtake their hosts and clinch third place.
Buckinghamshire have four players with first-class experience in their 12-man squad against Wales NC. Former Worcestershire left-hander Matt Pardoe is joined by former Somerset off-spinner Bertie Foreman, whose impressive early-season form with Buckinghamshire helped him to secure a two-month contract with Kent.
Northamptonshire batter Aadi Sharma is available to play for his native county again this weekend with contracted Worcestershire batter Rehaan davalath set his first competitive appearance of the season having made his seasonal debut in Thursday’s Showcase match against
Wales NC have three of their contracted Glamorgan players – Jack Hope-Bell, Romano Franco and Ben Morris – available. Rhodri Lewis returns to lead the side, with former Nottinghamshire batter Sam King recalled along with wicketkeeper Lewis Popple and promising seamer Tom Edwards.
Devon give a debut to Thorverton seamer George Daldorph in their cross-Tamar matches at Werrington. They also have Gloucestershire Academy all-rounder James Matravers available but Craig Penberthy (wrist) and Sam Read (ankle) are injured.
Callum Harvey is unavailable this weekend so Lawrence Walker will captain the side and James Horler, the Championship captain, comes in for his first T20 appearance in two years.
Cornwall have added Ryan Tonkin, Ellis Whiteford and Alfie MacDonald to the side which beat Herefordshire twice two weeks ago.
Wiltshire have contracted Gloucestershire off-spinner Alfie Johnson available against Herefordshire. He returns in place of Archie Fairfax-Ross in the only change to the side which completed a double over Dorset last time out.
Batter Cyrus Shafi, who joined from Herefordshire earlier this season, will face his former county.
Herefordshire are missing former Worcestershire and Leicestershire all-rounder George Rhodes who is getting married.
Knowle & Dorridge all-rounder Callum Bennett returns as Herefordshire seek to end a disappointing campaign with their first win. Herefordshire have also been docked four points for playing an unregistered player in their two defeats by Devon at Blundell’s School last month.
NATIONAL COUNTIES T20
Sunday July 5 (11am)
Group One
Carlisle: Cumbria v Staffordshire. South Northumberland CC: Northumberland v Cheshire.
Group Two
Exning: Cambridgeshire v Norfolk. Mellis CC: Suffolk v Hertfordshire.
Group Three
Luton: Bedfordshire v Berkshire. Marlow: Buckinghamshire v Wales NC.
Group Four
Werrington: Cornwall v Devon. Westbury: Wiltshire v Herefordshire.
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