NCCA T20 2025: Week 4 - Review

Dorset opening pair Finn Gordon and Will Tripcony re-wrote a chapter of the county’s record books to end Cornwall’s unbeaten record in the National Counties T20 competition at Wimborne.

Gordon and Tripcony swept Dorset to a ten wickets win in the second match of the day as they chased down a target of 180 without losing a wicket. Their partnership of 183 was the biggest for any Dorset in the competition and the second-highest partnership in the history of National Counties T20 cricket, bettered only by 240 from Cheshire openers Will Goodwin and Ollie Law against Oxfordshire ten years ago.

It ended Cornwall’s winning sequence, which they had extended to five matches with a six runs victory in a high scoring opener, and also opened up Group Four with one round of double-headers to come next weekend.

Tripcony made 101 not out – Dorset’s first century in the competition – and Tripcony 76 not out with Gordon improving his competition-best score for the second time in the day. He made 95 in the opening match in which he shared an opening stand of 76 with Tripcony(40).

But they had been eclipsed by former Kent batter Alex Blake who pummelled 101 from just 35 balls with ten sixes and seven fours in Cornwall’s first-ever T20 century.

Cornwall skipper Paul Smith made 75 not out in the second match but then had to watch as Gordon and Tripcony saw Dorset home with 17 balls to spare.

In the other Group Four double-header it was honours shared between Herefordshire and Devon at Eastnor.

Herefordshire won the opener by four wickets with two local Lukes – Powell and Tulacz – playing key innings after Devon had reached 126 for seven thanks to Adam Small’s breezy 40.

Devon, whose hopes of progressing to the Super 12 stage had been ended by a two points deduction for playing an unregistered player against Dorset, bowed out with a win as they eased to a 34 runs victory in the second match of the day.

Rhys Davies, back in the county side after an absence of 11 years, followed up 31 in the opener with 70 in the second match with skipper Lawrence Walker making 56 not out from 37 balls to boost Devon to 172 for three.

Opening batter Harry Passenger then starred in a less familiar role as an off-spinner to take five for 18 to dismiss Herefordshire for 138 despite 45 from Tulacz who was last out.

Berkshire bounced back from being deducted four points for fielding an unregistered player in each of their two wins over Wales NC two weeks ago, to complete a double over Buckinghamshire at Chesham in Group Three.

They won the opener by seven runs and the second more comfortably by 36 runs to move back into contention for a place in the Super 12s. All five teams in the group still have a mathematical chance of progressing although leaders Oxfordshire have completed theirgroup programme.

Charlie Dunnett’s unbeaten 40 proved significant in the opener and Berkshire’s 171 for seven was well defended by their bowlers despite a half-century from Aum Raykar and 49 from Ryan Friend.

In the second match it was Josh Lincoln (48) who played the decisive innings before seamer Samm Daniel took three wickets to dismiss Buckinghamshire for 126.

Oxfordshire ended their group campaign with a double over Bedfordshire at Luton where they edged a thriller by one run in the opener and again successfully defended a modest total to claim a 12 runs victory in the second.

Dylan Driscoll’s 43 helped Oxfordshire to 123 in the first match with Jack Fuller and Oscar Phillips sharing six wickets. Three wickets from Luke Hayes checked Bedfordshire’s chase and the task of scoring nine from Hayden Rossouw’s final over proved beyond them.

Oxfordshire were in trouble early in the second match as the slipped to 21 for four but they rallied thanks to a half-century from George Tait with support from Hayes (23) and Ahmed Khan (23).

Leg-spinner Henry Welch, back from his school exams, then too three wickets to restrict Bedfordshire to 130 for eight.

Cheshire were shot out for 85 – their lowest T20 total – by Cumbria in the opener at Barrow and were beaten by seven wickets. Their day got worse as Cumbria romped to a nine wickets win in the second match to leave Cheshire’s hopes of a Super 12 place hanging by a thread.

Slow left-armer Freddie Fallows (three for 26) undermined Cheshire in the opener with only Kevin Carroll reaching 20. Cheshire’s previous lowest T20 total was 88 also against Cumbria – then Cumberland - at Carlisle in 2019. It also followed Cheshire’s lowestNational Counties Trophy total – 68 – against Hertfordshire on the opening day of this season.

Cumbria reached their target with 11 balls to spare but chased down a tougher target – 119 – in the second match inside ten overs.

Cheshire’s 118 for eight owed much to Dan Newton’s 64 with seamer Louis Backhouse returning his best T20 figures of four for 20.

Fallows (44) and Sam Dutton (50 not out) made light work of the chase to see Cumbria home by nine wickets.

Northumberland also completed a double over Shropshire at South Northumberland which ended the visitors’ interest in the competition.

Half-centuries from Alasdair Appleby (75) and Harry Crawshaw (51 not out) too Northumberland to 204 for three in the opener and Shropshire floundered after an opening partnership of 53 between Seb Scott and Sahal Malvernkar.

Slow left-armer Joe Stuart, who impressed on his debut in Northumberland’s National Counties Trophy defeat by Shropshire last month, took four for 31 and seamer Callum Fletcher a competition-best four for 18 to dismiss Shropshire for 124. Northumberland’s 80runs victory was their largest by runs margin in the competition.

Shropshire found runs even harder to come by in the second match and were restricted to 105 for eight which represented something of a recovery after they had slumped to 15 for five Joe Stanley’s 28 led a mini-recovery after former Durham all-rounder JonnyBushnell had taken three for 20.

Northumberland gave their net run rate a healthy boost by chasing down their target inside 14 overs with John Oswell following up his century in the Trophy quarter-final with 46 not out and Durham man Haydon Mustard 31.

Suffolk’s unbeaten run in Group Two shuddered to a halt at Woolpit where Norfolk completed a double in the East Anglia derby.

Freddie Fairey’s century, a first by a Norfolk batter in the competition, set up a 71 runs win in the opener which was followed by an eight wickets success in the second match of the day.

Fairey’s 108 – from just 59 balls – was the centrepiece of Norfolk’s 219 for six although Nottinghamshire staff man Sam King made his presence felt on his seasonal debut with 52 not out.

Suffolk’s acting captain Adam Jones had a productive day with a half century in both matches but only Darren Ironside, with 55 in the first match and 31 not out in the second, offered much support.

King followed up with a second half century – 60 not out – in the second match to steer Norfolk home with more than five overs to spare and to top of the group.

Cambridgeshire stayed firmly in contention for a top three finish and a place in the Super 12s with a double over Lincolnshire at Exning.

Cambridgeshire’s 93 runs victory in the opener was their highest by runs margin in T20 cricket and was based on a solid team batting display headed by Will Routledge (60) with good support from Ben Claydon, James Sykes and Lee Thomason.

Lincolnshire were shot out for 117 with newcomer Freddie Gosnell’s 27 on debut hinting at future potential.

Lincolnshire fared much better in the second match with Ben Wright making a half-century and Adam Jones continuing his encouraging start to the season with 41. But Cambridgeshire got home by four wickets and with four balls to spare thanks to Callum Guest’s unbeaten 61.

National Counties T20

Group One

Barrow. Match One: Cheshire 85 (Freddie Fallows 3-26), Cumbria 86-3 (Matt Sempill 33, Ben Walkden 30 not out). Cumbria won by seven wickets.

Match Two: Cheshire 118-8 (Dan Newton 64, Louis Backhouse 4-20), Cumbria 121-1 (Sam Dutton 50 not out, Freddie Fallows 44). Cumbria won by nine wickets.

South Northumberland CC. Match One: Northumberland 204-3 (Alasdair Appleby 75, Harry Crawshaw 51 not out, John Oswell 37 not out), Shropshire 124 (Charlie Home 33, Callum Fletcher 4-18, Joe Stuart 4-31). Northumberland won by 80 runs.

Match Two: Shropshire 105-8 (Jonny Bushnell 3-20), Northumberland 106-4 (John Oswell 46 not out, Haydon Mustard 31). Northumberland won by six wickets.

Group Two

Exning. Match One: Cambridgeshire 210-5 (Will Routledge 60, Ben Claydon 44, James Sykes 37 not out, Lee Thomason 30 not out),Lincolnshire 117 (Nic Huckle 3-23). Cambridgeshire won by 93 runs.

Match Two: Lincolnshire 169-4 (Ben Wright 51, Ben Jones 41, Nick Keast 31), Cambridgeshire 170-6 (Callum Guest 61 not out). Cambridgeshire won by four wickets.

Woolpit. Match One: Norfolk 219-6 (Freddie Fairey 108, Sam King 52 not out), Suffolk 148-7 (Darren Ironside 55, Adam Jones 51, Hamidullah Qadri 3-25). Norfolk won by 71 runs.

Match Two: Suffolk 137-4 (Adam Jones 50, Darren Ironside 31 not out), Norfolk 140-2 (Sam King 60 not out, Ben Wilcox 37 not out). Norfolk won by eight wickets.

Group Three

Luton. Match One: Oxfordshire 123 (Dylan Driscoll 43, Jack Fuller 3-17, Oscar Phillips 3-31), Bedfordshire 122-7 (Luke Hayes 3-23). Oxfordshire won by one run.

Match Two: Oxfordshire 142-8 (George Tait 52, Jack Fuller 3-22), Bedfordshire 130-8 (Jake Tarling 37, Joe Lowe 30, Henry Welch 3-27). Oxfordshire won by 12 runs.

 Chesham. Match One: Berkshire 171-7 (Charlie Dunnett 41 not out), Buckinghamshire 165-9 (Aum Raykar 57, Ryan Friend 49). Berkshire won by six runs.

Match Two: Berkshire 162-9 (Josh Lincoln 48, Rhys Lewis 30), Buckinghamshire 126 (Ryan Friend 30, Samm Daniel 3-25). Berkshire won by 36 runs.

Group Four

Wimborne. Match One: Cornwall 213-7 (Alex Blake 101, Will Macvicar 48, Dan Lello 33), Dorset 207-7 (Finn Gordon 95, Will Tripcony 40). Cornwall won by six runs.

Match Two: Cornwall 179-9 (Paul Smith 75 not out, Connor Smith 3-16), Dorset 183-0 (Finn Gordon 101 not out, Will Tripcony 76). Dorset won by ten wickets.

Eastnor. Match One: Devon 126-7 (Adam Small 40, Rhys Davies 31), Herefordshire 130-6 (Luke Powell 41, Luke Tulacz 30 not out, Charlie Ward 3-27). Herefordshire won by four wickets.

Match Two: Devon 172-3 (Rhys Davies 70, Lawrence Walker 56 not out), Herefordshire 138 (Luke Tulacz 45, Harry Passenger 5-18). Devon won by 34 runs.