Minor Counties Cricket Round Up

Devon clinched a thrilling last-over verdict at Bovey Tracey to record their first victory over Cheshire since 1994. Cheshire, forced to follow on 266 runs behind on first innings, kept Devon in the field for 137 overs in a marathon second innings of 359, James Cornford contributing a maiden championship century with 145.

It left Devon just 13 overs to chase 94 to win, but the efforts of Bobby Dawson (27), Gareth Townsend (31 not out) and skipper Nick Folland (30 not out) saw them home by nine wickets with just three balls to spare.

Nigel Gadsby (133 not out) and Simon Kellett (115 not out) shattered the record they had established 24 hours earlier in Cambridgeshire's drawn game with Suffolk at Saffron Walden. Their unbroken opening partnership of 265 in 61 overs bettered their 241 stand in the first innings, with Kellett becoming only the second ever Cambridgeshire batsman to score centuries in both innings of a championship fixture. Mike McEvoy was the first in 1982. Suffolk were left a target of 307 and got close in reaching 291 for nine off 71 overs, thanks mainly to a first county hundred from Matthew Catley (110). In the ECB 38-County Cup, Cumberland - last year's losing finalists - made it two wins from two starts in Group 8 with Ashley Metcalfe scoring an unbeaten 100 in a comfortable victory over the Yorkshire Cricket Board XI at Penrith.

Minor Counties Championship
Saffron Walden: Cambs 241-0 & 265-0 (NT Gadsby 133 not, SA Kellett 115 not) Suffolk 200-4 & 291-9 (MD Catley 110) Drawn. Cambs 4 Suffolk 3
Bovey Tracey: Devon 372-5 & 97-1 Cheshire 106 & following on 359 (J Cornford 145, PRJ Bryson 65) Devon (24) beat Cheshire (2) by 9 wickets

ECB 38-County Cup
Penrith: Cumberland 280-4 (AA Metcalfe 100 not, TA Hunte 76) Yorkshire CB 183 (E McKenna 51) Cumberland won by 97 runs
Richmond: Middlesex CB 150 Essex CB 151-3 (GW Ecclestone 63 not) Essex won by 7 wickets