Durant Cricket National Counties Championship review

Berkshire off-spinner Adam Searle celebrated what was already a significant week for his family by taking his maiden five wicket haul to help set up a three wickets win over Cheshire in their Durant Cricket National Counties Championship Western Division One match at Nantwich.

It will be exactly 32 years ago on Friday that Searle’s father, Greg, won an Olympic Games gold medal alongside his brother, Jonny, in the coxed pairs rowing event in Barcelona.

Adam’s career landmark may have come in humbler surroundings but it played an important part on guiding Berkshire to their third straight win to keep them on course for the Western Division title and a place in the national final in early September.

Searle began the day with four second innings wickets to his name and claimed his fifth when he bowled Xander Selby to leave Cheshire nine down.

Slow left-armer Luke Beaven snaffled the other two wickets to finish with nine in the match on his return from injury, which left Berkshire to chase 211 for victory.

That was no easy task on a pitch taking spin but a composed innings from 17-year opener James Isbell (45) and a rapid 36 from skipper Dan Lincoln took a sizeable chunk out of the target.

But Berkshire stuttered when they lost four wickets for 16 in mid-innings with slow left-armers Selby (four for 85) and Dan Wilson (two for 55) applying the pressure.

Berkshire required Archie Carter’s calm unbeaten 66 and Andy Rishton’s aggressive 23 not out to see them over the line.

Former Kent all-rounder Alex Blake thumped a Championship-best 166 not out to steer Cornwall to a five wickets win over Devon in a see-saw Tamar derby at Truro.

Blake struck 15 fours and nine sixes in a 213-ball innings that dominated the final day and secured Cornwall’s first win in First Division cricket.

Blake shared a fourth wicket partnership of 50 with Will MacVicar (22) and a match-clinching one of 105 for the sixth wicket with Jake Rowe, who continued his excellent start to his National Counties career with 31 not out.

Staffordshire all-rounder Reeve Evitts made his maiden century and shared in a county record eighth wicket partnership against Lincolnshire in Eastern Division One at Cleethorpes.

The former Worcestershire player made 172 – one short of equalling Steve Dean’s highest score for Staffordshire against Lincolnshire – and added 184 for the eighth wicket with Rory Haydon, who made his maiden half-century.

That partnership easily exceeded the 136 that Pete Wilshaw and Craig Barker added against Bedfordshire at Old Hill in 2011.

Evitts and Haydon’s partnership was Staffordshire’s second county record stand of the match following Michael Hill and Sam Atkinson who added 190 for the seventh wicket in the first innings.

But it was not quite enough to bring Staffordshire the first win in Eastern Division One this season as Lincolnshire held on for a draw in a tense finish.

From facing defeat at the start of play, Staffordshire turned the tables by reaching 296 all out which left Lincolnshire needing 294 to win in 48 overs.

A rapid half-century from Nic Keast got them off to a flying start and they were 92 for three when Ben Wright departed in the 12th over of the chase.

But the brakes were applied by experienced slow left-armer Tom Brett and the next 12 overs saw Lincolnshire slide to 136 for seven as they lost four wickets for 13

Joshua Joy kept captain Tom Keast company for ten overs for a 28-ball duck before he went LBW to give Brett the 16th Championship five wicket haul of his career and fourth in two seasons with Staffordshire.

Keast completed his second half-century of the match and was still there at the end with Tom Currie, who took a couple of blows from Liam Hurt, keeping him company through the last 14 overs for 20 not out.

Oli Soames followed up his first innings century 82 not out for Bedfordshire in their draw with Suffolk at Bury St Edmunds.

Soames added 97 for the fifth wicket with his captain George Thurstance (84) and 91 for the sixth wicket in an unbroken partnership with Rohan Mehmi (39 not out).

Thurstance’s declaration set Suffolk a stiff victory target of 362 which they showed no interest in chasing as they pottered to 165 for five in 55 overs with Jack Beaumont compiling his second half-century of the match to go with four second innings wickets.

Hertfordshire went top of Eastern Division Two with a 54 runs over Cumbria at Netherfield where they survived a furious onslaught from Freddie Fallows.

The left-hander pummelled 118 from just 47 balls – eleven sixes and as many fours – which threatened to take Cumbria to victory.

But Fallows holed out to deep midwicket and slow left-armer Andrew Neal bowled Hertfordshire to victory with figures of six for 96 and a match haul of 11 for 167 – both career-bests.

Cumbria captain Matt Sempill dug in an attempt to deny Hertfordshire with last man Ali Craig making a 30-ball duck before he was bowled by Neal.

Hertfordshire chief executive Iain Fletcher was on the field when victory was secured as he made a cameo appearance as a substitute slip fielder.

Fletcher, 52, played first-class cricket for Somerset and had a decade with Hertfordshire but made his last appearance for them in 2004.

Wales NC enjoyed their first Championship victory in two years with a four wickets success against Dorset at Ebbw Vale in Western Division Two.

A career-best 80 from Milo Ayres set Wales on course for a victory target of 272 before the experienced pair of Brad Wadlan (71) and Cameron Herring (51 not out) got them most of the way home with a sixth wicket partnership of 101.

Earlier, Wadlan had taken three wickets and fellow slow left-armer Romano Franco and seamer Richard Edwards two each to dislodge Dorset for 273.

Durant Cricket National Counties Championship

Final day of three

Eastern Division One

Cleethorpes: Staffordshire 386-7 (Michael Hill 166 not out, Sam Atkinson 86, Callum Hawkins 60) & 296 (Reeve Evitts 172, Rory Haydon 56, Matty Mills 4-34), Lincolnshire 389-8 (Jordan Cook 166 not out, Tom Keast 77, Ben Wright 58) & 193-8 (Tom Keast 67 not out, Nic Keast 67, Tom Brett 5-48). Lincolnshire (11pts) drew with Staffordshire (11pts).

Bury St Edmunds: Bedfordshire 353 (Sam Kelsall 116, Oli Soames 104, Tom Harper 7-55) & 306-5 dec (George Thurstance 84, Oli Soames 82 not out, Jack Beaumont 4-90), Suffolk 298 (Jack Beaumont 61, Alex Oxley 60, Josh Cantrell 55, George Darlow 4-39) & 165-5 (Jack Beaumont 81). Suffolk (11pts) drew with Bedfordshire (12pts).

Western Division One

Nantwich: Cheshire 287 (Sam Perry 102, Luke Beaven 5-73) & 177 (Tom Hafil 59, Henry Dobson 50, Adam Searle 5-77, Luke Beaven 4-42), Berkshire 254 (Rhodri Lewis 63, Dan O’Driscoll 59, Xander Selby 4-90) & 212-7 (Archie Carter 66 not out, James Isbell 45, Xander Selby 4-85). Berkshire (22pts) beat Cheshire (7pts) by three wickets.

Truro: Devon 120 (Will MacVicar 8-46) & 335 (Lawrence Walker 116, Matt Thompson 115, Will MacVicar 4-85, Ellis Whiteford 4-88), Cornwall 171 (Sam Read 4-38, Kaz Szymanski 4-59) & 290-5 (Alex Blake 160 not out). Cornwall (20pts) beat Devon (4pts) by five wickets.

Eastern Division Two

Netherfield: Hertfordshire 355 (Dominic Chatfield 77, Scott Galloway 65, Ben Clifford 58, Freddie Fallows 4-110) & 219 (Archie Harrison 82, Matt Sempill 5-54), Cumbria 257 (Will Fraine 83, Ben Davidson 60, Andrew Neal 5-71, Ben Waring 4-80) & 263 (Freddie Fallows 118, Matt Sempill 67 not out, Andrew Neal 6-96). Hertfordshire (24pts) beat Cumbria (6pts) by 54 runs.

Western Division Two

Ebbw Vale: Dorset 374-9 (Finn Gordon 123, Alex Eckland 63) & 273 (Luke Webb 54), Wales NC 376-8 (Cameron Herring 111, Callum Nicholls 106) & 272-6 (Milo Ayres 80, Brad Wadlan 71, Cameron Herring 51 not out). Wales NC (24pts) beat Dorset (7pts) by four wickets.