Staffordshire kicked off their NCCA Twenty20 Cup with a three-point haul against Northumberland at Stone SP.
Staffs made the ideal start to their Group One commitments when they took the honours in the opening game at a sun-drenched Lichfield Road.
The hosts batted first and amassed 159-6 from their 20 overs, with Dan Lincoln (42), Nils Priestley (31), Callum Hawkins (25), James Kettleborough (19no) and Liam Hurt (17no) making the biggest contributions.
Northumberland were then bundled out for 114 in their run chase as Priestley showcased his all-round credentials with 5-27.
There were also two wickets apiece for Joe Hawkins and Hurt.
‘Game two thriller’
However, Northumberland ensured that they returned to the north east with some reward from the day by securing a tie in game two.
They reached 170-7 from their allocation, despite another three wickets for Priestley and two for seamer Sam Keeling-Wright.
Staffs looked to be out of the equation after slipping to 73-5 in the 11th over in their reply – but they managed to show plenty of fighting spirit.
Matt Morris’ 41, Joe Hawkins’ 20 and 15 not from Keeling-Wright left Staffordshire on 170-9 at the close to earn the sides a point apiece.
Staffordshire were invited to bat in the opening game of the day – and sent Priestley and Ollie Walker out to front the T20 campaign.
Walker was an early casualty when he was bowled by Sean Tindale, but Priestley and Lincoln made the most of the powerplay.
There were some vintage shots from Priestley as he made his seasonal county bow, although his fun was ended off the final ball of the fifth over when miscued seamer Jonny Bushnell to Harry Crawshaw in the covers.
Still, Staffs were making decent progress at that juncture – and there wasn’t too much to dent their momentum as Lincoln was joined by Callum Hawkins.
‘Key scalps’
However, the innings took a turn in the 13th over as Northumberland looked to wrestle their way back into proceedings.
Lincoln was dismissed by spinner Ollie McGee, before Hawkins and Niall McHale fell in successive deliveries in the next over.
Bushnell (3-41) was the man to do the damage as he won lbw verdicts against the Staffs pair.
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So from a position of strength, the hosts were now 110-5 – and any hopes of a score heading towards the 200-mark were over.
Morris departed quickly to leave Staffs on 132-6 with 15 balls of the innings remaining.
However, Kettleborough and Hurt chipped away to ensure that their side had something tangible to bowl at after the interval.
‘Quickfire success’
Staffordshire were well aware that Northumberland’s top three of Alasdair Appleby, Ross Whitfield and John Oswell were the dangermen in the chase.
Crucially, all three were back in the pavilion inside three overs and with just 22 runs on the board.
Whitfield was accounted for by Hurt, while Priestley set sail towards his five-for by bowling Oswell and then trapping Appleby lbw.
Paceman Hurt has Ross Greenwell caught behind by keeper Lincoln, prior to Bushnell falling to Joe Hawkins.
That left Northumberland on 39-5 and their hopes of victory in disarray.
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Chris Youldon chipped in with 11 before he became Hawkins’ second scalp – and try as they might, the visitors couldn’t keep Staffordshire out of the action.
Crawshaw contributed 45, but there wasn’t a significant partnership to help him to put pressure on Staffs in the closing stages.
Priestley returned to make Crawshaw the ninth victim of the innings – and matters were wrapped up when the Staffs slow left-armer caught and bowled Callum Fletcher.
If that, ultimately, had been a comfortable outing for Staffordshire, they were truly tested in the second encounter of the day.
‘Ross leads the way’
Northumberland called correctly again and this time skipper McGee decided to set a total to chase.
It was a typical T20 innings from the visitors as runs flowed and wickets fell to entertain the crowd.
Northumberland were ticking along at 10 an over by the halfway point, but couldn’t maintain that momentum.
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Whitfield blazed seven fours and two sixes in his 73, with support forthcoming from Greenwell (33), Bushnell (21no) and Appleby (18).
But Staffordshire dragged matters back as Priestley made it eight wickets for the day.
‘Fighting back’
Priestley then gave Staffs a flying start to their reply, but at the halfway point their hopes of double success looked to be heading down the drain.
But Walker hit a couple of sixes to increase optimism before he and Hurt fell swiftly to leave the home side on 110-7 with just 5.4 overs remaining.
Joe Hawkins’ breezy innings kept things interesting, but once he departed, Staffordshire needed 26 from the final two overs.
They took 15 off Fletcher in the 19th over, which included a six and four from Keeling-Wright.
And with 11 needed off the last six balls, Morris hit the first two balls from Tindale for four.
However, he was bowled off the third to bring last man Jake Garlick to the crease.
Try as they might, though, it needed a last-ball single from Keeling-Wright to bring the scores level and mean it was honours even in the second match.
That brought the curtain down on a breathless day of action for the spectators in the glorious sunshine.
Staffordshire had entered the day hoping for a maximum four-point haul.
But considering the position they found themselves in during the second match, they’d have certainly taken three to kick off T20 matters.
Main image: Nils Priestley took eight wickets in the day as Staffordshire started their NCCA Twenty20 Cup commitments. Picture: Pete Stonier