Minor Counties Championship Round Up

Lincolnshire jumped to the top of the Minor Counties Eastern Division table after completing a nine-wicket win over Suffolk at Ransomes in Ipswich.

Their second victory in three games was enough to inch them above long-time leaders Cumberland, who are now three points behind with a game in hand.

Suffolk, forced to follow on after being dismissed for 89 in their first innings on Tuesday, set out their stall to bat through the second day. Only 43 runs were eked out in the morning session as the home side crawled from their overnight 26 for two to 69 for four off 48.3 overs.

But David Pipes proved Lincolnshire's trump card, and his five for 41 off 22.1 overs included the scalp of Kevin Shaw, who was seventh man out at 122 after batting four hours and five minutes for just 29. Suffolk were dismissed for 159, leaving Lincolnshire just 41 to win.

ECB 38-County Cup semi-finalists Norfolk claimed their first championship win of the season over Northumberland at Lakenham - Steve Goldsmith and Paul Newman sharing nine wickets in the Northumberland second innings - while opener Paul Lazenbury compiled his third Minor Counties century in four days, and his second in the match, as Herefordshire stepped up their challenge on Western Division leaders Oxfordshire by beating Cornwall at Leominster.

Lazenbury, who scored 121 on Tuesday, took another 118 off the Cornwall bowling as Herefordshire declared on 268 for five in their second innings. Cornwall, left a target of 265 in a minimum 48 overs, were torpedoed for 131 in 33.3, with paceman Paul Humphries claiming four for 44.

Former Lancashire off-spinner Chris Brown came agonisingly close to bowling Cheshire to victory over Dorset at Dean Park. But it was a case of so near yet so far as Brown's 10 wickets in the match ultimately counted for nothing as Cheshire tasted defeat for the fourth time in six Western Division fixtures.

Dorset were left to score 165 in a minimum 76 overs when they dismissed Cheshire for 187 in their second innings, but they suffered an alarming slump from 146 for four to 159 for nine as Brown collected five for 62 off 15.4 overs. He took three for nought in nine balls at one stage but with six runs still required Dorset's last-wicket pair of Toby Sharpe (eight not out) and Steve Forshaw (one not out) kept their nerve to scrape the home side's victory on 165 for nine.

Minor Counties Championship
Falkland (Newbury): Berks 227-7 & 257-7 (LH Nurse 64, AJ Procter 4-73)Devon 198-7 & 211 (NA Fusedale 5-83, JE Emburey 4-72) Berks (23) beat Devon (5) by 75 runs
Dean Park, Bournemouth: Cheshire 206-6 & 187 (VJ Pike 5-74, TJ Sharpe 4-54) Dorset 229-7 & 165-9 (M Swarbrick 60, C Brown 5-62) Dorset (22) beat Cheshire (6) by 1 wicket
Dales, Leominster: Hereford 222 & 268-5 (PS Lazenbury 118, N Prabhu 51 not) Cornwall 227-8 & 131 (NF Williams 67, PJ Humphries 4-44) Hereford (20) beat Cornwall (8) by 132 runs
Lakenham: Norfolk 230-7 & 158-6 Northumberland 151 & 142 (SC Goldsmith 5-28, PG Newman 4-31) Norfolk (24) beat Northumberland (3) by 95 runs
Ransomes (Ipswich): Lincs 208-8 & 42-1 Suffolk 89 & following on 159 (DJ Pipes 5-41) Lincs (20) beat Suffolk (3) by 9 wickets