Durant National Counties Championship - Week 1 Review: Day 1

Norfolk’s Callum Metcalf and Brett Stolworthy broke a county record that had stood for 118 years to rescue their side on the opening day of their Durant Cricket National Counties Championship Eastern Division One match against Buckinghamshire at Tring. 

The pair shared an eighth wicket partnership of 153 which beat the previous Norfolk record for that wicket set by Arthur Watson and Robert Pilch against Cambridgeshire at Lakenham in 1905. 

Metcalf completed a maiden century and Stolworthy a maiden half-century which helped Norfolk recover from 122 for seven to 299 for nine. 

Metcalf struck 15 fours and two sixes before he popped a catch to cover from a leading edge off slow left-armer Conner Haddow while Stolworthy finished unbeaten on 66. 

Before Metcalf and Stolworthy came together Norfolk had been held together by a half-century from captain Sam Arthurton after Buckinghamshire captain Tom Hampton had dismissed Alfie Cooper and Tom New with successive deliveries. 

Haddow finished with five for 105 before Buckinghamshire lost Mohammad Choudhry and Chris Marrow to Andy Hanby in reaching 38 for two. 

Staffordshire captain James Kettleborough made his ninth Championship century which dominated the opening day against Suffolk at Bury St Edmunds. 

Kettleborough, who joined Staffordshire from Bedfordshire last winter, shared an opening stand of 125 with Matthew Morris and a second wicket partnership of 159 with Zen Malik, both of whom made valuable half-centuries. 

Kettleborough’s 201-ball innings included 16 fours and took Staffordshire to an imposing 387 for eight declared. 

Northamptonshire left-arm wrist spinner Freddie Heldreich marked his Championship debut for Suffolk with a five wicket haul. 

Staffordshire removed openers Jack Beaumont and Adam Mansfield before Suffolk closed on 51 for two. 

Somerset Academy batter Fin Hill impressed on his debut for Devon by making 90 in their Western Division One match against Berkshire who made a stuttering start to their title defence at the Falkland club in Newbury. 

With Bean Beaumont (42) and Jack Moore (45) also contributing useful middle-order runs, Devon recovered from 68 for four to 272 all out and then reduced Berkshire to 47 for five. 

Captain Dan Lincoln (28 not out) and Andy Rishton (17 not out) saw Berkshire through to the close without further loss but still 187 in arrears. 

In the other Western Division One match Oxfordshire reached 269 for nine after 69.3 overs before rain halted play against Herefordshire at Eastnor. 

Opener Jamie Harrison made 52 against his former county and former Sussex batter Tom Hinley followed up with a maiden Championship half-century. 

Seamer Roshan Venkataraman continued his excellent start to the season by taking four for 92 before the rain arrived. 

There were wickets aplenty in the two Eastern Division Two matches with Northumberland being dismissed for 93 by Cambridgeshire at Tynemouth and Cumbria for 107 by Bedfordshire at Furness. 

Saffron Walden seamer Ashleigh Cox took six for 26 on his Cambridgeshire debut with only Andrew Brown, who made 20 on his Northumberland debut at his home club ground, resisting for long. 

Cambridgeshire then pressed home their advantage by reaching 281 for eight at the close with Callum Guest unbeaten on 84. Cox weighed in with a breezy 32. 

Former Kent, Essex and Hampshire pace bowler Matt Coles was Cumbria’s destroyer with a competition-best six for 28. 

Ben Walkden (42) and Drew Postlethwaite (23) were responsible for more than half of Cumbria’s runs with opener Freddie Fallows the only other batter to reach double figures. 

Bedfordshire ended a frenetic day 116 ahead with one first innings wicket intact with Northamptonshire batter Harry Gouldstone top-scoring with 48 on his debut. 

Danyaal Khalid made 46 on his Championship debut and Coles chipped in with a typically belligerent 32 from 28 balls. 

Seamer Sam Sharp brightened an otherwise gloomy day for Cumbria by taking four for 69. 

Kent all-rounder Alex Blake made an 82-ball century on his National Counties debut for Cornwall who dominated the first day against Dorset at Truro. 

The experienced Blake struck seven sixes and seven fours in his century and shared a third wicket partnership of 164 with Karl Leathley (71). 

Having dismissed Dorset, who were relegated to Western Division Two at the end of last season, for 176, Cornwall closed on 216 for four. 

Dorset’s total was almost completely reliant on half-centuries from captain Luke Webb (82) and Ed Ellis (56). 

Apart from that only one other batter made double figures as seamer Will MacVicar transferred his impressive white ball form into three-day cricket by taking four for 41 on his Championship debut. 

Only 20.1 overs were possible at Brymbo between a delayed start and the return of the rain with Shropshire reaching 43 for two against Wales NC. 

Durant Cricket National Counties Championship  

First day of three 

Eastern Division One  

Tring: Norfolk 299-9 (Callum Metcalf 100, Brett Stolworthy 66 not out, Sam Arthurton 52, Conner Haddow 5-105), Buckinghamshire 38-2. 

Bury St Edmunds: Staffordshire 387-8 dec (James Kettleborough 141, Zen Malik 81, Matthew Morris 54, Freddie Heldreich 5-117), Suffolk 51-2. 

Western Division One  

Falkland CC: Devon 272 (Fin Hill 90), Berkshire 85-5. 

Eastnor: Oxfordshire 269-9 (Tom Hinley 52, Jamie Harrison 54) v Herefordshire.  

Eastern Division Two  

Furness: Cumbria 107 (Matt Coles 6-28), Bedfordshire 223-9. 

Tynemouth: Northumberland 93 (Ashleigh Cox 6-26), Cambridgeshire 281-8 (Callum Guest 84 not out). 

Western Division Two  

Truro: Dorset 176 (Luke Webb 82, Ed Ellis 56), Cornwall 216-4 (Alex Blake 102, Karl Leathley 71). 

Brymbo: Shropshire 43-2 v Wales NC.