Minor Counties Championship Round Up

Herefordshire missed the chance to make up ground on Western Division leaders Oxfordshire when they succumbed to a seven-wicket defeat by Wiltshire at Luctonians.

With Oxfordshire losing to Dorset at Dean Park, Herefordshire could have stolen a march at the head of the regional table, but instead they now lie third with 90 points behind Oxfordshire (95) and Dorset (92). They play Oxfordshire at Thame this coming Sunday and Monday.

Herefordshire rallied from 54 for six to 165 for eight in their second innings, but Wiltshire then raced to a 200 target as Roger Sillence (106 not out) and Russell Rowe (65 not out) launched into the Herefordshire bowling in an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 171 in 31 overs.

Tim Lamb (64 not out) and Darren Cowley (50 not out) piloted Dorset home against Oxfordshire, with Cowley having earlier matched Vyvian Pike's figures of four for 30.

Shropshire added to Devon's fall from grace at Budleigh Salterton when they dismissed the home side for 125 to clinch a 101-run victory. Former Nottinghamshire seamer Kevin Evans (four for 50) and ex-Warwickshire man Asif Din (three for eight) did the damage after Ben Platt (59) and Adam Shimmons (42) had shared a Shropshire record ninth-wicket partnership of 118 towards Shropshire's 230 all out.

David Ward hit 83 for Hertfordshire, whose second innings total of 320 for eight put the game beyond reach of Bedfordshire at Dunstable, while a low-scoring opening day at Lakenham saw Cambridgeshire skipper Ajaz Akhtar plunder eight for 44 - the best bowling in the championship this season - and nine wickets in the day against Norfolk.

Minor Counties Championship
Budleigh Salterton: Shrops 224-9 & 230 (BWW Platt 59, AJ Procter 6-77) Devon 228-5 & 125 (KP Evans 4-50) Shrops (20) beat Devon (8) by 101 runs
Oxton: Cheshire 223-2 & 28-2 Wales 156. Match abandoned - rain. Cheshire 7 Wales 1
Dean Park (Bournemouth): Oxon 232-3 & 190 (CA Haupt 72, DJ Cowley 4-30, VJ Pike 4-30) Dorset 247-5 & 176-3 (TCZ Lamb 64 not, DJ Cowley 50 not) Dorset (21) beat Oxon (5) by 7 wickets
Dunstable: Herts 207-7 & 320-8 (DM Ward 83) Beds 225-3 & 246-8 (W Larkins 70) Drawn. Beds 7 Herts 4
Luctonians (Kingsland): Hereford 294-7 & 165-8 Wilts 260-6 (SM Perrin 90, RJ Bates 52 not) & 200-3 (RJ Sillence 106 not, RJ Rowe 65 not) Wilts (21) beat Hereford (4) by 7 wickets
Millom: Cumberland v Suffolk. No play yesterday - rain.
Lakenham: Norfolk 123 (A Akhtar 8-44) & 6-1 Cambs 156 (S Mohammed 53, AR Clarke 5-48)