OPENER Warren Goodwin makes a welcome return on Sunday to the Cheshire Minor Counties side gunning to win back-to-back Minor Counties Championship titles.

The Chester Boughton Hall batsman played a key role in Cheshire’s 2007 title triumph, but has been missing for the last two three-day county clashes with a broken finger.

But having last played in his county’s impressive victory over Wales Minor Counties at Chester towards the end of June, Goodwin is looking to make an impression.

Cheshire face bottom of the table Herefordshire at Eastnor Cricket Club in a three-day match starting on Sunday. It is the penultimate match of the season and they are defending a slender five-point lead over fellow title-chasers Berkshire at the top of the table.

Team manager Sandy Scrimgeour knows a victory for his side would give them a welcome advantage going into the final game of the season.

“If we win our two games then we should win the division, but we’re taking one match at a time,” he admitted.

“Hopefully the weather holds for us and we can get another win. Herefordshire are bottom, but we can’t afford to take them lightly. They’ll be a useful side.”

Other than Goodwin, Cheshire are unchanged from the side which grabbed a solid winning draw away to Devon in their last three-day Championship match.

Cheshire's final Western Division match is at home to Cornwall at Nantwich Cricket Club on August 17-19.

Cheshire team: Warren Goodwin (Chester Boughton Hall), Danny Leech, Ben Spendlove, Nathan Dumelow (Oulton Park), Andy Hall, Matt Dawson (Bramhall), James Duffy, Daniel Berry, Tom Young (Hyde), Jason Whittaker (Alderley Edge), Adam Syddall (Bowdon). 12th man: Ollie Law (Chester Boughton Hall).