Herefordshire and Shropshire shared in a day of batting landmarks as the runs flowed in the Western Division fixture at Whitchurch.

Ismail Dawood (142 not out) and Paul Lazenbury (134) rewrote the Herefordshire record books with a second wicket stand of 287 - the highest ever partnership in the county's nine years in the championship.

It enabled Herefordshire to reach 313 for two off 66 overs, and they then reduced Shropshire to 128 for nine. But Ben Platt, batting at No. 9, decided to match attack with attack and Shropshire closed on 235 for nine off 51 overs, with Platt having crashed a spectacular unbeaten 104 off only 76 balls, with eight sixes and eight fours.

Partner Matt Tilt contributed just two not out to a new Shropshire record last-wicket stand of 107.

Dorset's Matt Swarbrick scored 102 against Berkshire at Dean Park, where visiting skipper Gary Loveday just missed out on three figures in falling for 98. Devon's highly-rated Matt Wood also got within striking distance of a century in making 97 against Oxfordshire at Christ Church.

Tim Adcock crowned his return to the Northumberland ranks for the first time in three years with 73 on a weather-curtailed day against Suffolk at Ransomes, while Andrew Hall's reappearance for Cheshire after a four-year absence saw the former England Schools Under-19 captain carry hit bat for 48 not out. Cheshire slumped to a tea-time 25 for six in reply to Wiltshire's 229 for six, and were finally dismissed for 96, and followed on 133 runs behind. Seamer Craig Gibbens did most of the damage with championship best figures of six for 21.

At Marlow, 24 wickets fell on the opening day as local neighbours Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire shared the honours.

Minor Counties Championship
Marlow: Beds 178 (JNB Bovill 6-38) & 57-4 Bucks 174 (RN Dalton 6-28)
Dean Park: Berks 294-3 (GE Loveday 98, TD Fray 83, JR Wood 50 not) Dorset 208-4 (M Swarbrick 102, GR Treagus 56)
Lakenham: Norfolk 204-5 (SJB Livermore 62 not) Lincs 187-8 (PC Trend 53 not, J Clarke 50)
Christ Church: Devon 227-4 (MJ Wood 97, GTJ Townsend 62) Oxon 224 (SV Laudat 62, RJ Williams 54, AJ Procter 5-77)
Whitchurch: Hereford 313-2 (I Dawood 142 not, PS Lazenbury 134) Shrops 235-9 (BWW Platt 104 not, KE Cooper 4-64)
Ransomes: Northumberland 218-8 (TW Adcock 73, GM Kirk 4-69) Suffolk 96-7 (G Angus 4-53)
Neath: Wales 168-7 (RI Clitheroe 75, JCJ Stephens 5-47) & 33-1 Cornwall 181-8 (SM Williams 72)
South Wilts: Wilts 229-6 (JL Taylor 80, RJ Rowe 51) Cheshire 96 (CR Gibbens 6-21, RJ Sillence 4-32) and following on 38-0