ECB 38 County Round Up

Minor Counties teams completed a clean sweep of four wins out of four over first-class Board XIs in the quarter-finals of the ECB 38-County Cup.

Three of the four are previous finalists in the MCC Trophy - Cheshire (1996) and Norfolk (1997) both winners at Lord's in recent years and Herefordshire beaten finalists in 1995.

Berkshire, the other semi-finalist, have never reached a Minor Counties one-day final, but played Middlesex at Lord's in the NatWest Trophy in 1990.

Cheshire's victory over the Durham Board at Neston was the pick of the four.

Skipper Ian Cockbain (109 not out) and James Cornford (86 off 85 balls) shared a fourth-wicket stand of 209 as Cheshire assembled their biggest ever one-day score of 307 for five. Durham were bowled out for 251 in reply.

Herefordshire were easy winners over the Gloucestershire Board at Bristol University after the home side slumped to 29 for six chasing 208 to win, but Norfolk and Berkshire squeezed through in tight finishes. An unbeaten 71 from Sam Patel saw Berkshire past Essex's 263 for eight with nine balls to spare at Saffron Walden while Norfolk celebrated a thrilling three-run triumph over Surrey at Lakenham when ex-Bedfordshire star Chris Bullen was run out off the final ball of the game.

ECB 38-County Cup Quarter-finals: Bristol University: Hereford 207-8 Gloucs 122 Hereford won by 85 runs
Neston: Cheshire 307-5 (I Cockbain 109 not, J Cornford 86) Durham 251 (QJ Hughes 87) Cheshire won by 56 runs
Lakenham: Norfolk 232-7 (CJ Rogers 76, C Amos 53) Surrey 229-9 (CK Bullen 55, GA Crawford 53) Norfolk won by 3 runs
Saffron Walden: Essex 263-8 (N Carlier 95, GW Ecclestone 61, AJE Hibbert 57, NA Fusedale 4-51) Berks 266-7 (SS Patel 71 not) Berks won by 3 wickets

Semi-finals: (Thursday 10 August) Herefordshire v Berkshire (Luctonians) Norfolk v Cheshire (Lakenham)