Wales NC through despite loss with National Counties Trophy quarter-finalists confirmed

Wales NC reached the quarter-finals of the National Counties Trophy despite being beaten by six wickets by Dorset in their final Group Four match at Wimborne. Wales' early defeat meant that they faced an anxious wait for the outcome of the Buckinghamshire v Staffordshire match at Gerrards Cross, knowing that they would be level on points with the winner and net run rate would determine who went through with Dorset.

Ad/> Buckinghamshire got home by three wickets but could not reach their target of 188 quickly enough to improve their run rate and deny Wales a place in the quarter-finals. CricketFoakes backing Stokes and McCullum partnership to fire England back to the big time22/06/2022 AT 08:06 Chris Marrow (53) and Conrad Louth shared a third wicket partnership of 70 for Buckinghamshire but it was Ross Richardson, with 35 not out from 77 balls, who got them over the line.

Dorset won with more than ten overs to spare at Wimborne where left-arm seamer Brad Currie claimed competition-best figures of five for 28. Former Glamorgan all-rounder Connor Brown held together the Wales innings but David Scott and Alex Eckland saw Dorset home with an unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 99.

Suffolk claimed second place behind Group Three winners Cambridgeshire with a comfortable 66 runs win over Cheshire in a shoot-out for the quarter-finals at Didsbury. Ben Claydon's 127, his maiden Trophy century, was the centrepiece of Suffolk's 304 all out but there were solid supporting innings from Alex Oxley and Ben Parker.

Captain Rob Sehmi led the chase with 73 from 64 balls but Cheshire faded after he was run out and with it went their quarter-final hopes. Shropshire ended a disappointing Trophy campaign with an eight wickets mauling by