Bedfordshire County Cricket Club are already out of one National Counties cricket competition, after suffering three losses out of three in the group stage of the 50-over NCCA Trophy.
A 56-run loss in the opening game in Northumberland on 30 April was proceeded by back-to-back losses against Staffordshire and Lincolnshire at home across the bank holiday weekend, as Bedfordshire end the quickfire trio of fixtures bottom of Group Two.
After a season opening friendly loss to an MCC Secretarial XI at Dunstable Town Cricket Club on Sunday, 19 April, Bedfordshire made what will be one of their longest journeys as they travelled to Roseworth Terrace to face Northumberland in the first fixture of the NCCA Trophy.
Batting first, Northumberland amassed 291/9 with John Oswell scoring 86 from 73 balls batting at number seven, while wickets were shared around all of Bedfordshire’s seven bowlers.
Bedfordshire’s chase began in competent fashion, as Jake Tarling and Nabil Moughal (76) worked well together in an 81-run first wicket partnership, although it wasn’t long before a collapse saw Bedfordshire struggling at 110/5.
It left the visitors struggling to keep up with the run rate, and despite a late 83-run partnership between Oscar Phillips and Joe Lowe, Bedfordshire fell 56 runs short.
No luck on home turf
The Bedfordshire bowlers were then put to the sword by a strong Lincolnshire side on Sunday, 3 May.
Back on home turf at Dunstable Town Cricket Club, Bedfordshire’s fortunes did not improve as they shipped 345/9 against a Lincolnshire side led from the front by captain, Nicholas Keast who scored a rapid 128 from 84 balls.
Ben Wright and James Laud also fell just short of half centuries, while Ben Jones scored a swift 35 at the back end of the innings as a number of Lincolnshire batters contributed, although the visitors were aided by six dropped catches in the Bedfordshire ranks.
Henry Redmayne took three wickets for Bedfordshire, while their top scorer with bat in hand was wicket keeper, Matt Taylor who scored 36 in a meek Bedfordshire total of 163, losing heavily by 182 runs.
And a familiar face made matters worse for Bedfordshire when action resumed the following day.
Staffordshire captain, James Kettleborough – formerly the captain of Bedfordshire – was the stand out performer in the third round of group fixtures as his 104 took Staffordshire to an unassailable target of 231 on a spicy wicket at Ampthill Town Cricket Club.
The majority of Bedfordshire’s scalps came for Jamal Richards (4-36) and James Anson – who took 3-41 – but regular Bedfordshire wickets during the chase meant they could never gain any momentum, falling for 197 and a 34-run loss.
Bedfordshire finish their NCCA Trophy campaign at Norfolk on 17 May, before the T20 competition begins with a double header in Wales. The three-day red ball competition begins in July.
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