HEREFORDSHIRE rounded off their NCCA 50-over group games in fine style with a comprehensive six-wicket win over Oxfordshire at Great and Little Tew.
The county side’s victory was built on an excellent batting display, built around a composed unbeaten 98 from Ben Chapman-Lilley.
The Barnt Green opener was in excellent touch throughout his innings which spanned 151 balls and included 12 fours.
Herefordshire’s reply in pursuit of Oxfordshire’s total of 259 had begun at a furious pace with Jujhar Johal crashing eight fours and two sixes from only 28 balls as Herefordshire’s opening stand reached 67 from only 10.2 overs.
Although Nick Hammond went quickly, skipper Matt Pardoe was also in good touch as he stroked six boundaries in his 57 from only 59 balls, sharing a stand of 97 with Chapman-Lilley
Callum Bennett added 27 and then Alex Hinkley’s unbeaten 13 contained the winning boundary as Chapman-Lilley looked on from the other end.
Although former Herefordshire opener fell quickly at the start of the Oxfordshire innings, caught by Bennett off Roshan Venkataraman (4-34), the home side looked set for a massive score as they powered on to 190-2 with 16 overs of their innings left.
Zach Lion-Cachet (112), Luke Hayes (52) and George Tait (31) all took full toll of the Herefordshire bowling.
But the visitors bounced back in fine style, collecting the last eight wickets for 68 on an excellent batting wicket.
Venkataraman was again to the fore as he became the joint leading wicket taker in the competition this season with Pardoe (2-59), Johal (1-34), Chapman-Lilley (1-49), James Rudge (1-47) and Charlie Williams (1-29) sharing the other wickets.
Northumberland and Cumbria qualify from the group but this was only Herefordshire’s second 50-over win over Oxfordshire and their first since a victory at Colwall back in 2011.
Herefordshire’s attention will now turn to their NCCA Championship Division 1 West programme which begins on July 9 when Oxfordshire are the visitors to Eastnor.
