Minor Counties and ECB 38-County Cup

The quarter-finals of the ECB 38-County Cup will be a direct shoot-out between four Minor Counties teams, and four first-class Board XIs.

The Board XIs of Gloucestershire, Durham, Surrey and Essex all booked their places in the last eight on another rain-hit Sunday. All four went through as their respective group winners when their final fixtures were abandoned because of bad weather.

Essex finished ahead of Suffolk on run-rate in Group Three while Durham saw off Cumberland in Group Eight when their clash at Ropery Lane, Chester-le-Street was one of those that failed to finish. Gloucestershire and Surrey both went through despite not managing to get on the field against Devon and Buckinghamshire.

Of the 14 ECB 38-County Cup ties, only two went the full distance. Sussex beat Dorset by 68 runs at Weymouth while Hertfordshire dismantled Huntingdonshire for just 76 at Warboys in Peterborough to win the battle to avoid the Group Three wooden-spoon

An unbeaten 100 from Chris Boroughs helped Herefordshire complete a 100 per cent record in Group Four with a 43-run triumph over the Warwickshire Board at Brockhampton.

Lincolnshire also finished on a high when they knocked off a revised target of 97 in just 17.2 overs without the loss of a wicket against the Derbyshire Board at Cleethorpes.

In the championship, Staffordshire were in the ascendancy against Northumberland at South Northumberland CC when a post-tea downpour flooded parts of the Newcastle upon Tyne based ground. Northumberland had limped to 77 for five off 41.3 overs in reply to Staffordshire's 153 for eight off 49.3.

Minor Counties Championship
South Northumberland: Staffs 153-8 Northumberland 77-5

ECB 38-County Cup
Helston: Cornwall 157-6 Wilts 138 (revised target) Cornwall won by 15 runs
Weymouth: Sussex 253-8 (J Chadburn 69, CM Mole 64) Dorset 185 (DJ Cowley 50) Sussex won by 68 runs
Liphook: Hants 118 (JR Wood 4-19) Berks 35-3. Abandoned.
Warboys, Peterborough: Herts 238-9 (MH James 56) Hunts 76 (JA Chaudhry 4-23) Herts won by 162 runs
Chelmsford: Suffolk 205-3 (ID Graham 96, RJ Catley 75) v Essex. Abandoned.
Brockhampton: Hereford 227-4 (CW Boroughs 100 not, RD Hughes 54) Warwicks 185 Herefordshire won by 42 runs
St. Fagans: Wales 56-4 v Shrops. Abandoned.
Dunstable: Beds 211-5 Northants 75-2. Beds won on faster scoring rate
Ratcliffe College: Leics 159 (CD Crowe 55) Cambs 128-7 Cambs won on faster scoring rate
Cleethorpes: Derbys 217-7 (BL Spendlove 55) Lincs 100-0 (J Clarke 51 not) Lincs won by 10 wickets (reduced target)
Boots Ground: Cheshire 94-3 v Notts. Abandoned.
Chester-le-Street (Ropery Lane): Durham 71-8 v Cumberland. Abandoned.
No play possible:
Instow: Devon v Gloucs
Aylesbury: Bucks v Surrey

ECB 38-County Cup quarter-finals (Wed July 19):
Gloucs v Hereford (Bristol University)
Cheshire v Durham (Neston)
Norfolk v Surrey (Lakenham)
Essex v Berks (Saffron Walden)