Minor Counties Cricket Round Up

Cambridgeshire skipper Ajaz Akhtar (five for 19) reached the career milestone of 250 championship wickets on the opening day of the Eastern Division fixture with Cumberland at Saffron Walden.

Akhtar, eagerly exploiting a helpful pitch, claimed the first five wickets to fall in the Cumberland first innings as the reigning champions slipped to a discomforting 35 for five. Steve O'Shaughnessy (47) and skipper Simon Dutton (25) then led a recovery to 136 for nine in reply to Cambridgeshire's 168 all out.

A murky day in The Parks saw home captain Rob Williams (61 not out) and South African-born allrounder Craig Haupt (56) supervise Oxfordshire to 182 for eight after bowling out Cornwall for 185. Former Middlesex bowler Neil Williams had topscored for Cornwall with 46 before becoming one of Keith Arnold's four victims.

In the ECB 38-County Cup, the Warwickshire Board saw off their local rivals Worcestershire at Kidderminster, despite bowling no fewer than 52 wides in the Worcestershire innings of 182 all out.

Minor Counties Championship
The Parks: Cornwall 185 (KA Arnold 4-37) Oxon 182-8 (RJ Williams 61 not, CA Haupt 56)
Saffron Walden: Cambs 168 (RJ Rollins 52) Cumberland 136-9 (A Akhtar 5-19)

ECB 38-County Cup
Kidderminster: Warwicks CB 245-7 (DAT Dalton 66 not) Worcs CB 182 Warwicks CB won by 63 runs