Minor Counties Championship Round Up

Oxfordshire paceman Keith Arnold wreaked havoc on the Wiltshire batting at Marlborough.

Arnold, the leading wicket-taker in Minor Counties cricket this year, plundered a season's best seven for 36 as Wiltshire were sent packing for just 91 inside 44 overs. Arnold bowled unchanged through 22 overs to take his tally of championship victims for the season to an impressive 29.

The Western Division leaders, who started the game 30 points better off than second-placed Wiltshire, established a first innings lead of 129 in declaring on 220 for eight in reply. Batting again Wiltshire openers Dwain Winter and Jamie Glasson negotiated their way through 17 overs to finish on 29 without loss.

Dorset's Tim Lamb hit a championship-best 116 on the opening day against Cornwall at Penzance - it was more than half his side's 216 all out - and Buckinghamshire's Steve Naylor enjoyed a fruitful day with bat and ball against Hertfordshire at Bishop's Stortford.

Naylor scored an unbeaten 52 as Buckinghamshire piled up 278 for four off 50 overs, and then plundered seven for 22 off 11.4 overs as the home side were rolled over for 122. He finished the innings off with two wickets in two balls but failed to complete a hat-trick when Hertfordshire followed on 156 runs behind.

David Mercer was unlucky to miss out on a century for Bedfordshire against Suffolk at Ipswich School. He was stranded on 98 not out when Bedfordshire lost their last three wickets for the addition of just one run. Suffolk matched Bedfordshire's 226 by reaching 227 for seven off 49.5 overs, the last 50 runs from Chris Warn (51 not out) and Phil Caley (34 not out off 19 balls) clubbed off just four overs.

Minor Counties Championship
Cheadle Hulme: Hereford 200-8 (K Pearson 54, PS Lazenbury 50, CC Finegan 5-60) & 32-0 Cheshire 184-8 (ND Cross 62, JE Brinkley 4-33)
Penzance: Dorset 216 (TCZ Lamb 116, NTP George 4-72) Cornwall 208-9 (BP Price 60, VJ Pike 6-51)
Bishop's Stortford: Bucks 278-4 (PD Atkins 64 not, JGE Benning 53, SP Naylor 52 not) Herts 122 (SP Naylor 7-22) and following on 0-0
Grantham: Lincs 253-5 (DA Christmas 55 not, J Clarke 51) Cambs 108-5 (E Wilson 4-37)
Ipswich School: Beds 226 (DJM Mercer 98 not, RN Dalton 52, RW Pineo 4-48) & 1-0 Suffolk 227-7 (MD Catley 77, C Warn 51 not)
Marlborough: Wilts 91 (KA Arnold 7-36) & 29-0 Oxon 220-8