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Classy Cheshire claim Minor Counties crown

Neil Goulding
12/ 9/2007

CHESHIRE have been crowned the new Minor Counties Championship champions after they defeated Northumberland by an innings and four runs.

This year’s Western Division winners claimed the last three wickets they needed on Tuesday to complete a memorable title double.

Cheshire shared the 2005 Championship title with Suffolk and the 2001 crown with Lincolnshire.

But this win was their first outright crown since they beat Cambridgeshire in 1988.

Trailing by 117 runs overnight, Northumberland showed some resistance as they tried to make Cheshire bat again.

Phil Nicholson and Matthew Mutchall shared a last-wicket stand of 52, but the damage had been done by Cheshire’s bowlers.

Cheshire had already posted 472-6, thanks to a record opening stand of 317 between Danny Leech (202) and Warren Goodwin (153).

Former Derbyshire all-rounder Nathan Dumelow finished the match with nine wickets and spinner Danny Woods claimed five as Northumberland crumbled from 62 -0 to 179-7 and Cheshire claimed the emphatic win with a day and a half to spare.