HEREFORDSHIRE suffer their second straight reverse in this season’s NCCA Trophy 50-over competition

5 May 2025   |   By Richard Prime

HEREFORDSHIRE suffered their second straight loss in this season’s NCCA Trophy 50-over competition when they went down by 60 runs to Staffordshire at West Bromwich Dartmouth.

But the defeat would have been far more comprehensive but for one of James Rudge’s sparkling cameos which saw the all-rounder batter six sixes and four fours in a 38-ball 62.

Rudge was joined in a record-breaking last-wicket stand of 68 with Adam Hines who largely watched from the non-striker’s end but also contributed an unbeaten four.

The previous record of 59, set by Nick Davies and Paul Humphries against Shropshire at Luctonians, had stood for 24 years since 2001.

Rudge’s all-round efforts bookended the day as he picked up the first two Staffordshire wickets, bowling open Callum Hawkins and having Liam Banks caught behind by Luke Powell, after Herefordshire had won the toss and elected to bowl first.

But Staffordshire’s strong middle order, led by skipper James Kettleborough (105), continued to rack up the runs.

The home side looked set for a very big score when they reached 227-4, but some fine spin bowling by Taylor Cornall (5-39), aided by a spectacular one-stump-to-aim-at run out by Ben Chapman-Lilley to remove the dangerous Matthew Morris for 49, helped to dismiss the hosts for 275.

Cornall (24) and Ollie Cox (21) scored quickly when Herefordshire got their reply under way.

With Chapman-Lilley (42) and Ollie Walker (27) well entrenched, Herefordshire reached the halfway mark in their innings past the 100-mark, with only three wickets down were and well in touch with the target.

But both were dismissed in quick succession and wickets tumbled to leave Herefordshire languishing on 147-9 before Rudge’s late fireworks.

Herefordshire must now beat Norfolk, who have also lost both of their games to date, at Brockhampton on Bank Holiday Monday to have any hope of progressing in this year’s competition.

CAPTION: James Rudge batters one of his six sixes with Adam Hine looking on from the non-striker’s end.