Norfolk again won the toss and elected to bat first against Herefordshire. The visitors started with another debutant as left arm slow bowler Joe Flatt replaced the injured Qadri.
When Sam Arthurton chopped the third ball of the match onto his stumps Norfolk were on the backfoot on a challenging wicket. The Wilcox brothers Finlay (25) and Ben steadied the ship putting on 83 for the second wicket before both departed in quick succession to leave Norfolk on 86 for 3 after 18.3 overs. Ben Wilcox had seven fours in his 55.
For the second day running Hood (32) and Cooper featured in a partnership of 56 for the fifth wicket taking the score to 156 for 5. Cooper registered his second consecutive fifty and saw the score to 202 when he fell to a catch in the deep for 59. Some lusty hitting by Callum Metcalf (24 n.o.) and Flatt (18) got the final score to 246 for 8. It was felt this may have been thirty runs short of a good score.
Norfolk got off to a flying start when Herefordshire batted as Hood caught opener Ollie Cox from the fourth ball of Andy Hanby’s opening over. Brett Stolworthy then got in on the act with two victims the second of which was an excellent caught and bowled to a ball struck firmly by Tom Cornall (40). When Hanby trapped Ben Chapman-Lilley LBW Herefordshire were teetering on 76 for 4.
Step forward Ollie Walker a former Worcestershire Academy product who played a fine innings albeit with a bit of luck in which he dominated the bowling first supported by Luke Tulacz (29) and then Alex Hinckley (40 n.o.). Walker finished with 108 from 97 balls with eight fours and five sixes as he led his side to a five-wicket victory from the last ball of the 44th over.
Hanby and Stolworthy had two wickets each and Flatt picked up a debut wicket. Norfolk’s final group game is on 18th May against Staffordshire CCC at Sprowston CC.
It ended a very disappointing two days for Norfolk CCC as they lost both their National Counties trophy games on the road against Shropshire and Herefordshire. As a result, they are sitting bottom of the group and are unable to qualify for the knockout stages.
Link to the match scorecard Norfolk CCC