COUNTIES CRICKET Wales beat Trophy holders Dorset

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Created on Sunday, 03 May 2026 19:00

Last Updated on Monday, 04 May 2026 08:33

Published on Sunday, 03 May 2026 19:00

Written by PAUL BOLTON Cricket Correspondent

National Counties Trophy holders Dorset suffered a setback in their title defence as they lost by 20 runs to Wales NC at Wimborne.

Former Nottinghamshire batter Sam King impressed on his Wales debut with a run-a-ball 91 in which he shared partnerships of 76 for the third wicket with Mathew Ryan and 118 for the fourth with his captain Brad Wadlan (71 not out).

Dorset responded with a half-century from Will Tripcony and 43 from captain Luke Webb but they faltered against former Northamptonshire leg-spinner Alex Russell (three for 46) and the left-arm spin of Wadlan and were dismissed for 292.

Devon ended an eight-year for a victory over Berkshire in any competition with a 43 runs success in a low-scoring contest at the Falkland club in Newbury.

Seb Linnitt’s 39 proved to be the highest score of the contest but supporting innings from Callum Harvey (30) and Matt Whalley (29 not out).

Whalley followed up with the wickets of Ben Salter and Andrew MacEwen as Berkshire were dismissed for 146 in 43.2 overs with captain Andy Rishton top scoring with 27.

Wiltshire opened their Trophy campaign with a 77 runs victory under the DLS Method over Herefordshire at Colwall where rain forced a late start and an early finish.

Wiltshire were struggling at 89 for five before they were revived by a sixth wicket partnership of 55 between captain Ed Young (68) and William Brown (51) which lifted them to 219.

Herefordshire – with the exception of captain Luke Tulacz (47) - found batting even more difficult and had laboured to 121 for eight in 39 overs when rain halted played, well adrift of their required DLS calculation.

Buckinghamshire also made it two wins from two in Group Four with a comfortable 109 runs victory over Oxfordshire at Thame.

A competition-best 87 from Josh Lincoln, a winter recruit from Berkshire, proved significant as did his county record seventh wicket partnership of 123 with Ed Bragg (42 which helped them recover form 100 for six to 257 for eight.

Oxfordshire stuttered to 148 all out in reply with Buckinghamshire’s new captain Conner Haddow taking three for 15.

Rain also affected play at Toft which reduced Cheshire’s Group One match against Suffolk to 46 overs-a-side affair.

But it did not stop Cheshire passing 300 for the second week running and banking a 116 runs victory over Suffolk.

There are eight more group matches in the NV Play National Counties Trophy today when Cheshire and Devon will be seeking their third wins of the season and likely qualification for the quarter-finals.

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