NCCA 50 Over Trophy: Semi-Final Review

Cheshire ended Berkshire’s hopes of winning the National Counties Trophy for a fifth successive season with an emphatic semi-final victory at Alderley Edge and they will now meet Norfolk in the final at Wormsley on August 25.

Cheshire’s 133 runs win was also Berkshire’s first defeat in a semi-final of the competition for 24 years and brought to an end a record run of titles that began in 2019 – the competition was not run in 2020 due to Covid.

Norfolk beat Cambridgeshire by 59 runs at Great Witchingham to book their place in the final for the first time since 2009 when they beat Staffordshire to win the 50 overs competition for the fifth time.

Cheshire’s victory was the result of a clinical team display, the sort of performance that has typified Berkshire’s cricket in their recent period of dominance.

It was based on a brilliant 147 from Sam Perry, who enjoyed himself in familiar surroundings at his home club, and sealed by miserly bowling from their three spinners and backed by excellent catching and outfielding.

Perry, who made 102 in the first innings of the Durant Cricket National Counties Championship match against Berkshire at Nantwich last week, again enjoyed himself against their attack after Cheshire put in.

He struck five sixes and 11 fours in a stylish 142-ball innings that dominated Cheshire’s 356 for seven.

But he received excellent support from Rob Sehmi (24), Alex Money (25), Kevin Carroll (33) and Nick Anderson (24) in half century partnerships for the first, second, fourth and six wickets, each of them playing positively and keeping Berkshire’s bowlers under pressure.

There was a final flourish from Andrew Jackson (24 not out) and Steve Green (26 not out) in a rapid unbroken eighth wicket stand of 57 which left Berkshire with the task of making their highest-ever total in the competition to reach a fifth final.

Green took two of his three sixes from the final over bowled by Andy Rishton whose figures of one for 96, the most runs conceded by a Berkshire bowler in the competition and deleting Tom Lambert - now the county’s Head Coach – who took one for 86 against Devon in 2009 from the record books.

Berkshire got their reply off to a flying start with openers Rhys Lewis, with a career-best 79, and Johnny Connell plundering 122 in the first 13 overs.

But the introduction of Green, his fellow slow-left-armer Xander Selby and Cheshire’s captain/coach Harry Dearden saw the innings quickly unravel.

In the next 12 overs Berkshire subsided to 169 for seven and although Charlie Dunnett (22) and Rishton (20) tried to marshall some late resistance, Cheshire were not to be denied.

Berkshire lost all their wickets for 101 with Dearden and Green taking four apiece and Selby the other two to go with a sharp catch on the point boundary to claim the important wicket of Connell.

Cheshire’s last appearance in the Trophy final came in 2018 when they edged out Devon by two runs at Wormsley.

It was closer at Great Witchingham but Norfolk made at three wins out of three from their visits to Walcis Park this season.

Captain Sam Arthurton’s 139, his fifth Trophy century, was the centrepiece of Norfolk’s 317 for five with excellent supporting innings from Ethan Metcalf (38) in an opening stand of 122 and Ben Wilcox (46) in a second wicket partnership of 118.

Arthurton struck 20 fours and a six from 133 balls in his second century at Great Witchingham this season following his 180 not out – Norfolk’s record individual score in the competition – against Shropshire in a group match in June.

Cambridgeshire’s response was spirited with handy contributions down the order but they lacked someone to play the anchor role that Arthurton had for Norfolk. There were six scores of 20 or more but no-one went on to make a half-century.

Callum Guest (36) and Yousaf Choudhary (40) appeared to have got Cambridgeshire into a handy position when they added 67 for the second wicket but three wickets then went down for nine runs.

A seventh wicket partnership of 77 between Jack Loveday (48) and Ben Clilverd (42) repaired some of the damage but after they departed in quick succession the end came quickly and they were dismissed for 258 with five overs unused.

Seamer Joe Everett, who had taken four wickets in his previous two matches in the competition, more than doubled his tally with five for 45 to become only the 12th Norfolk bowler to take five or more wickets in the competition.

Everett was backed up by slow left-armer Cameron Graveling who took two for 36 in his ten overs including the wicket of Loveday with a return catch.

The National Counties Trophy final between Cheshire and Norfolk will be played at Wormsley on Sunday August 25 with Monday August 26 as a reserve day.

National Counties Trophy semi-finals

Alderley Edge: Cheshire 356-7 (Sam Perry 147), Berkshire 223 (Rhys Lewis 79, Steve Green 4-31, Harry Dearden 4-52). Cheshire won by 133 runs.

Great Witchingham: Norfolk 317-5 (Sam Arthurton 139, Ben Wilcox 46), Cambridgeshire 258 (Jack Loveday 48), Ben Clilverd 42, Joe Everett 5-45). Norfolk won by 59 runs.