Minor Counties Championship Round Up

Mark Currie and Chris Brown continued their growing affection for Minor Counties cricket on day one of Cheshire's Western Division basement battle with Wales at Oxton.

Currie scored his second championship century in less than a week in compiling an unbeaten 109 of Cheshire's 223 for two off 50 overs, and off-spinner Brown then pocketed a hat-trick as Wales were bowled out for 156 to concede a 7-1 advantage on first day bonus points.

Brown, fresh from taking 10 wickets against Dorset last week, polished off the Wales innings by removing Wales skipper Colin Metson and tail-enders Paul Jenkins and Paul Discombe with successive balls of the 50th over. He finished with five for 41.

Nathan Round blasted a championship best 98 not out as Herefordshire, hot on the heels of Western Division leaders Oxfordshire, declared at the end of the 67th over on 294 for seven against Wiltshire at Luctonians.

Round added 95 in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand with skipper Harshad Patel (25 not out) and Wiltshire closed on 202 for five off 53 overs in reply, with captain Steve Perrin on 54 not out.

Craig Haupt (121 not out) and Darren Cowley (103 not out) both scored unbeaten centuries on the opening day of the Dorset v Oxfordshire fixture at Dean Park, while Mark Downes registered a maiden championship half-century to lift Shropshire from 115 for five to 224 for nine against Devon at Budleigh Salterton. Half-centuries from Nick Folland (60 not out), Bobby Dawson (50) and Matthew Wood (50) pushed Devon to 228 for five off 50 overs in reply. Tim Roberts led the way with 92 not out as Bedfordshire eased to the maximum four batting points with three balls to spare against Hertfordshire at Dunstable.

Minor Counties Championship
Budleigh Salterton: Shrops 224-9 (M Downes 53 not, AJ Procter 5-75) & 31-1 Devon 228-5 (NA Folland 60 not, RI Dawson 50, MJ Wood 50)
Oxton: Cheshire 223-2 (MR Currie 109 not, AJ Hall 60) & 28-2 Wales 156 (C Brown 5-41 inc. hat-trick)
Dean Park (Bournemouth): Oxon 232-3 (CA Haupt 121 not) & 26-1 Dorset 247-5 (DJ Cowley 103 not)
Dunstable: Herts 207-7 (MH James 59, RN Dalton 4-43) & 43-0 Beds 225-3 (T Roberts 92)
Luctonians (Kingsland): Hereford 294-7 (NW Round 98 not) Wilts 202-5 (SM Perrin 54 not)