NCCA Counties

Norfolk CCC recorded a fantastic 105 run victory away to Staffordshire CCC in their open­ing NCCA NV Play One-day Trophy match of the sea­son. Norfolk gave One Day debuts to youngsters Nathan Muggeridge and Lewis Reeder while Staffordshire gave debuts to the experienced Dan Lincoln from Berkshire and Olly Walker and Sam Keeling-Wright, both joining from Herefordshire. Norfolk lost the toss and were asked to bat first. Captain Sam Arthurton (9) was first to fall when he nicked a delivery through to keeper, before Ben Wilcox (4) fell to a good catch at second slip. Opener Freddie Fairey attacked anything loose and was quick to capitalise on any scoring opportunity. However, having made 30, he went for a pull shot but top-edged the ball and was pouched superbly by the keeper running back towards the pavilion. At 52-3, Norfolk seemed in trouble, but Alfie Cooper (89) and Charlie Hood (65) dug in and rotated the strike superbly and took the sting out of the home attack. The pair shared an excellent 160 run partnership and one which put Norfolk in control of the game. Hood’s innings contained eight fours, with Cooper finding the boundary on 10 occasions. The platform was then set for Hamidullah Qadri (63no) as he plundered five fours and three sixes in his entertaining 44-ball innings to ease Norfolk over the 300-mark and set the hosts a challenging total. In reply Nathan Muggeridge took the early wicket of Morris (8) before going on to remove Evitts (18), Kelsall (17) and Walker (6) in a disciplined opening spell of bowling to put the host in all sorts of trouble with just 57 runs on the board. Staffordshire’s last realistic chance of challenging Norfolk came in the form of the fifth-wicket alliance between the experienced Kettleborough and Lincoln. The pair had taken the score on 105 before Lincoln departed when his pull shot off Arthur Wilcox only found the hands of Fairey at deep mid-wicket. Hawkins helped his captain put on 45 for the sixth wicket but was then undone by Qadri and bowled. Kettleborough continued to fight valiantly and reached his half-century in what was now a losing cause. Sam Atkinson was run out by Lewis Reeder, before Kettleborough was stumped by Hood off Graveling. It was only a matter of time now and the end came when Brett and Garlick fell to Graveling and Qadri respectively as Norfolk ran out comfortable winners with an excellent all round display from the young side.