Showcase fun as County Champions come to town

Photo: Archie Riley leads a team of young Chester Boughton Hall players as they offer a guard of honour to the players and later gave a junior cricket demo.

Warwickshire 337-6 (41 overs), Cheshire230 (40.4 overs) Scorecard & ball by ball video

Match highlights

After three years in the making, Cheshire and Warwickshire finally got to play their delayed 'ECB Showcase' game at Chester Boughton Hall.

The ECB initiative saw all 20 national county sides pitched against first class opposiiton as a warm-up for the Royal London 50 over trophy games that start this week and to give leading recreational players the opportunity to pitch themselves agains the best. All the scores here

Overnight rain pushed the start time back to 12.15 with a reduced 41 overs per side but that didn't dampen the spirts of a good sized Chester crowd.

Cheshire were missing injured skipper Rob Sehmi along with Will Evans plus Mike Finan had to withdraw on the morning of the game. He was replaced by Jack Williams. Davie Wainwright led the side.

Warwickshire included England's Dom Sibley in their line-up.

And Warwickshire didn't disappoint as they powered their way to 337-6 with Mike Burgess making a hundred,  skipper Will Rhodes hit 75, Kunal Pandya 52 and Matt Lamb 42.

There were two wickets for Andrew Dufty (2-41) and Steve Green (2-62) amidst some fierce hitting. 337 was an imposing total.

Cheshire's top three all got going in the reply - Ali Chughtai 41, Sam Perry 20 and Harry Dearden 34 - but the fireworks were left to the tail with Chris Sanders smashing an unbeaten 65 (four sixes) and Green 45. Liam Norwell took 5-15.

In the end Cheshire closed on 220, 107 runs short but the experience was invaluable and the ocasion overshadowed the result.

"It was a great expereince for the lads and we put up a decent show," said Team Manager Pete Babbage. "Warwickshire are a class act and it was a cracking day all round." 

Next up for Cheshire it's back to three day championship action at Nantwich (14-16 August) as they look to stave off the threat of relegation, taking on Berkshire.

And just for the record, Berkshire defeated Middlesex in their 'Showcase' game...

Cheshire side: Dave Wainwright (Castleford - captain), Ali Chughtai (Widnes), Sam Perry (Alderley Edge), Harry Dearden (Edgworth), Alex Money (Chester Boughton Hall), Charles Lowen (Didsbury), Nick Anderson (Didsbury), Steven Green (Didsbury), Chris Sanders (Nottingham), Jack Williams (Chester Boughton Hall), Andrew Dufty (Oulton Park), 12th man George Moss (Oulton Park).