Minor Counties Championship Round Up

Keith Arnold put the skids under Herefordshire's hopes of leapfrogging Oxfordshire at the head of the Minor Counties Western Division table with a landmark performance at Thame.

Herefordshire, five points behind leaders Oxfordshire with two games left, were reduced to 74 for seven as Arnold celebrated the 500th championship wicket of his career in bagging six for 57 off 25 overs.

Ismail Dawood - his fourth victim of the innings - took Arnold to the magical 500 mark, only the third Oxfordshire bowler to reach the milestone. Neeraj Prabhu came to Herefordshire's rescue with a defiant 70 to lift Harshad Patel's men to 164 all out off 61.1 overs, but Oxfordshire then took a firm grip by posting a 226 for four reply off 48.5.

Half-centuries from the South African-born Craig Haupt (68) and Patrick Jobson (60) earned them an 8-1 advantage on first day points, as well as giving them a first innings lead of 62 runs.

Dorset, who began the day two points behind Oxfordshire, also bagged the full eight points available against Wales at Ynysygerwn, where young David Kidner plundered five for 18 off 14 overs as the home side were dismissed for 105. Devon also claimed the maximum eight points against Wiltshire at Exmouth, while the race for the Eastern Division pennant hotted up at Radlett when Lincolnshire established a first innings lead of 161 over bottom-of-the-table Hertfordshire. Cambridge University blue Richard Howitt hit a brilliant unbeaten 143 to see Lincolnshire to 275 for seven in reply to Hertfordshire's 114 all out.

A sparkling 88 off 94 balls from Matthew Catley was the feature of Suffolk's first innings lead over Buckinghamshire at Milton Keynes, and Bedfordshire had the better of things against Norfolk at Wardown Park, thanks to Shaun Rashid's five for 49 and half-centuries from Wayne Larkins (69) and Ollie Clayson (62 not out).

Wardown Park (Luton): Norfolk 198-7 (JP Garner 54, S Rashid 5-49) & 20-0 Beds 226-4 (W Larkins 69, OJ Clayson 62 not out).

Milton Keynes: Bucks 191 (PD Atkins 56, GM Kirk 4-79) & 37-3 Suffolk 207-8 (MD Catley 88, DW Randall 50).

Exmouth: Devon 243-3 (RI Dawson 86, NA Folland 61 not out) 36-2 & Wilts 167.

Radlett: Herts 114 (EJ Wilson 4-32, S Oakes 4-41) & 7-1 Lincs 275-7 (RWJ Howitt 143 not out).

Thame: Hereford 164 (N Prabhu 70, KA Arnold 6-57) & 7-0 Oxon 226-4 (CA Haupt 68, PM Jobson 60).

Ynysygerwn: Wales 105 (DA Kidner 5-18) & 25-1 Dorset 288-5 (NJ Thurgood 73).