Libby’s star turn inspires Cornish
RAIN dashed Cornwall’s hopes of defending the MCCA Knockout Trophy but the form of recalled spinner Andrew Libby should mean there are many bright days ahead – according to team manager Godfrey Furse.
Cornwall were always facing an uphill battle after their one-day fixture with Berkshire fell foul of the weather and, despite winning two of their three remaining games, failed to qualify for the knockouts. It created a scenario in which
Dorset could afford to lose to fellow qualifiers Devon from Group 1 in the final weekend as long as they kept their net run rate in check – which left a bitter taste in the mouth of Furse and Co.
But they responded earlier this week by recording their first win by an innings since 2005 in the MCCA Championship – against last year’s finalists Oxfordshire no less – including two individual star performances.
Bradley Wadlan finished just four short of a Cornwall individual record after a superb 191 but Furse reserved special praise for left-armer Libby’s nine-wicket haul, having been recalled to the team following a four-year absence.
“He got injured four years ago and we had another left-arm spinner, Shakil Ahmed come in and stay in – if it wasn’t for that he wouldn’t have been left out in the first place,” admitted Furse. “Bradley Wadlan is our pro and bowls left-arm spin, too, but because he can’t bowl through injury Andrew has come back in.
“To have two in the same team is rare, it’s not as if you have six or seven batting sports to fill. But he’s been much improved since he’s
come back in. He dipped for a couple of years but is now at his best.
“Bradley has had a superb year and his batting has never been better, and the addition of (former Essex all-rounder) Greg Smith has been big for us, too.
“Put it this way – we have as good a chance of getting to the final as any other team if things go our way.”
Elsewhere in the Western Division, Ollie Wilkin turned heads for Berkshire as he scored twin hundreds – 159 and then 163 – in his first appearance for the county to secure a whopping 263-run win at Herefordshire.
Former Leicestershire seamer Alex Wyatt’s first innings’ 6-69 set up Shropshire for a ten-wicket victory against Dorset. Shropshire’s David Wainwright also took eight wickets in the match. Ash Davis also found joy with the ball as his 7-83 paved the way for Cheshire’s eight-wicket win over Wiltshire. And Devon were no match for
Wales after being bowled out for just 87 in their second innings – Nicholas Davies bagging a five-for in a seven-wicket triumph. Reigning champions Cumberland opened their campaign with a tense loss at Suffolk by just 41 runs, as the bowlers reigned supreme in Carlisle.
Despite Cumberland being set a modest second-innings target of 208, Suffolk skipper and off-spinner Tom Huggins (6-61) tore through their ranks.
Elsewhere Lincolnshire got off to a confident start as former Yorkshire man Jonny Tattersall took a second-innings 5-23 in the tenwicket victory against Bedfordshire. Despite Tanveer Sikandar’s 188 Hertfordshire could only draw with Staffordshire, while Northumberland started positively with a six-wicket win at Buckinghamshire.