Staffordshire battle back for Trophy success
Bowlers halt Bedfordshire’s push for victory
Staffordshire are up and running in the NCCA Trophy after fighting back to pick up their first win of the season against Bedfordshire.
Put into bat at Ampthill Town Cricket Club, James Kettleborough (104) made a century as Staffs were bowled out for 231 in the final over.
Reece Evitts hit 51 and Ollie Walker 37 during productive middle-order partnerships with Kettleborough, but no other man made it into double figures.
Jamal Richards took 4-36 and James Anson 3-41 for a Bedfordshire side without a win so far this season.
They appeared to be on course to changing that as they moved on to 141-4 in the 36th over, but the Staffordshire bowlers made sure no significant partnership could get going.
Evitts finished with figures of 3-46 from nine overs, while Sam Keeling-Wright, Jake Garlick and Tom Brett took two wickets each and Walker one.
That led to Bedfordshire being all out for 197 in the penultimate over, with Richard contributing their top score of 40.
Staffs now head to Northumberland on Sunday, hoping to continue their ascent up the Group Two table and keep their opportunity to progress alive.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.