Minor Counties Championship Round Up

Wiltshire made it two championship wins out of two to set the pace at the head of the Minor Counties Western Division table.

South Wilts seamer Roger Sillence pocketed career-best bowling figures of seven for 38 and skipper Steve Perrin claimed four spellbinding catches at second slip as Wiltshire earned a 24-run one-innings verdict over Shropshire at Wellington.

Shropshire, chasing 151 to win, collapsed from 66 for one to 126 all out as Sillence ran through their middle-order.

Perrin said: "I said I would like to be judged after three years, and this is my fourth season. I might not be the most conventional of captains but we have a good time and we have a great team spirit.

"I am more than happy with the squad. Everybody wants to play and this team has now been together for two or three years. They are getting used to what Minor Counties is all about and hopefully we can now build on these two early wins."

Bedfordshire's Eastern Division game with Northumberland at Flitwick petered out into a tame draw, while the reigning champions, Cumberland, suffered a dramatic first-day collapse against Norfolk at Netherfield.

Paul Newman, the Norfolk captain, did the damage with a second spell of five for 11 off 10 overs to finish with six for 31 as Cumberland fell away from 88 for one to 98 for seven. They were finally bowled out for 135 off 54 overs, and Norfolk closed on 106 for seven off 50.

Flitwick: Northumberland 161-3 & 240-8 Beds 175-7 & 174-6 (OJ Clayson 62 not) Match Drawn. Beds 3 Northumberland 4
Wellington: Wilts 150-6 (RJ Rowe 59) Shrops 126 (RJ Sillence 7-38) Wilts (16) beat Shrops (5) by 24 runs
Netherfield: Cumberland 135 (PG Newman 6-31) Norfolk 106-7