2018 Minor Counties Championship
The 2018 Minor Counties Championship was the 114th Minor Counties Cricket Championship season, and the fourth under the name 'Unicorn Counties Championship'. It is contested in two divisions. Berkshire were the defending champions[1] and retained their title by defeating Lincolnshire in a repeat of the 2016 and 2017 finals. The final was played in Bodicote, Oxfordshire, with Berkshire winning by an innings and 32 runs.
| Administrator(s) | England and Wales Cricket Board |
|---|---|
| Cricket format | 3 days (4 day final) |
| Tournament format(s) | League system and a final |
| Champions | Berkshire (7th title) |
| Participants | 20 |
| Matches | 61 |
Standings
Format
Teams receive 16 points for a win, 8 for a tie and 4 for a draw. In a match reduced to a single innings, teams receive 12 points for a win, 8 for a draw (6 if less than 20 overs per side) and 4 points for losing. For matches abandoned without play, both sides receive 8 points. Bonus points (a maximum of 4 batting points and 4 bowling points) may be scored during the first 90 overs of each team's first innings.[2]
Eastern Division
| Team | Pld | W | W1 | L | L1 | T | D | D1D | D1< | A | Bat | Bowl | Ded | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincolnshire | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 18 | 0 | 107 |
| Suffolk | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 21 | 0 | 105 |
| Staffordshire | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 17 | 0 | 103 |
| Buckinghamshire | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 99 |
| Norfolk | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 20 | 0 | 86 |
| Cambridgeshire | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 23 | 0 | 85 |
| Cumberland | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 55 |
| Hertfordshire | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 19 | 0 | 51 |
| Bedfordshire | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 39 |
| Northumberland | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 20 | 0 | 37 |
| Source:[3] | ||||||||||||||
Western Division
| Team | Pld | W | W1 | L | L1 | T | D | D1D | D1< | A | Bat | Bowl | Ded | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 23 | 0 | 138 |
| Oxfordshire | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 23 | 0 | 115 |
| Shropshire | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 24 | 2 | 111 |
| Cornwall | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 24 | 0 | 73 |
| Cheshire | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 24 | 0 | 68 |
| Wiltshire | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 24 | 2 | 67 |
| Herefordshire | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 66 |
| Devon | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 23 | 0 | 61 |
| Dorset | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 0 | 45 |
| Wales Minor Counties | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 23 | 4 | 39 |
| Source:[4] | ||||||||||||||
Final
The final featured the teams which finished with the most points in each Division, Berkshire and Lincolnshire – A repeat of the 2016 and 2017 finals. It began on 16 September 2018 at Banbury with the result being a victory for Berkshire by an innings and 32 Runs. Berkshire retained the title whilst Lincolnshire's most recent victory was in 2003.
References
- "Berkshire beat Lincolnshire to complete double triumph". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- "Rules for the Unicorn Counties Championship season 2018" (PDF). England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
- Unicorns Championship Eastern Division - 2018, MCCA. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
- Unicorns Championship Western Division - 2018, MCCA. Retrieved 2019-01-18.