ECB 38 County Round Up - 14th May

A Cavalier innings from allrounder Ian Graham swept Suffolk to a nine-wicket win over Huntingdonshire in the opening round of ECB 38-County Cup matches. Graham, promoted to open the order, thrashed 66 off only 50 balls - reaching his half-century off 35 - as Suffolk passed Huntingdonshire's modest 143 for eight in just 22.5 overs.

Tight bowling from Phil Caley and Gary Kirk, whose combined 20 overs yielded just 15 runs off the bat, had tied Huntingdonshire down. Chris Boroughs weighed in with bat and ball as Herefordshire emerged triumphant against Shropshire at Shrewsbury. Boroughs topscored with 59 in Herefordshire's 202 for six off 50 overs, hitting a six and eight fours in an innings spanning just 61 balls.

Skipper Harshad Patel also contributed a more restrained 51, and Shropshire then subsided from 57 for two to 73 for six in reply, new professional Kevin Evans bowled without scoring on his debut by Herefordshire newboy John Shaw. Gavin Byram (47) and Tony Parton (19) added 63 for the seventh wicket to rally Shropshire, but Boroughs dismissed both and the home county folded to 152 all out off 43.1 overs.

In the other game at Bristol Optimists, Wiltshire kept their nerve to defeat the Somerset Board by two runs. Somerset needed 15 off the last over to win and 10 came from the first three balls. But former Durham off-spinner Jason Searle (four for 65) then took wickets with successive deliveries and only two came off the final ball. Jimmy Taylor had topscored with 82 not out in Wiltshire's 208 for six, playing a vital anchor role after coming to the wicket with his side on 27 for three.

Shrewsbury: Herefordshire 202-6 (CW Boroughs 59, HV Patel 51) Shropshire 152 Herefordshire won by 50 runs
Exning: Huntingdonshire 143-8 Suffolk 144-1 (ID Graham 66) Suffolk won by 9 wickets
Bristol Optimists: Wiltshire 208-6 (JL Taylor 82 not) Somerset CB 206-8 (M Coles 50, JP Searle 4-65) Wiltshire won by 2 runs