Lincolnshire first to clinch victory in National Counties Championship

Lincolnshire were the first winners in this season's National Counties Championship with an eight wickets success against Suffolk in their Eastern Division One opener at Bury St Edmunds. Lincolnshire trailed by 38 in the first innings but their new-ball pair of Curtis Free and Mark Footitt ripped through Suffolk who were shot out for 84 in their second innings. Ad/> Free finished with five for 31 and Footitt, the former Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Surrey left-armer, four for 35.

CricketWorcestershire ace Gibbon spearheading Cheshire's National Counties Championship tilt02/07/2022 AT 14:07 Lincolnshire lost openers Jack Timby and Joe Kendall early but Tom Keast saw them home with his second half-century of the match which dominated an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 88 with Ben Wright. Seamer Dan Gibbs put Staffordshire in control against Bedfordshire at Dunstable with a five-wicket haul on his Championship debut. The Porthill Park bowler took five for 22 which reduced Bedfordshire to 43 for seven in their second innings, a lead of just seven.

Former Northamptonshire and Glamorgan opener James Kettleborough and Jack Fuller (43) denied Staffordshire a two-day win with an eighth-wicket partnership of 57. Fuller was bowled by Tom Moulton but Kettleborough was still there at the close unbeaten on 85 but with Bedfordshire 98 ahead and with only two wickets intact. Earlier Tim Maxfield (93) and career-best Championship innings of 80 from Dan Richardson and 61 not out from Paul Byrne rallied Staffordshire from 43 for seven to 359 for nine.