County Cricket - reports in brief...

BCCC vs Cheshire CCC 21st -22nd June 2009 @ Boughton Hall CC

Minor Counties Cricket Championship
Cheshire v Berkshire
at Chester, June 21-23
Cheshire won by 4wkts

CRAIG CROWE produced the innning of his life, but still couldn't prevent Berkshire from crashing to Cheshire in their Minor Counties Championship at Chester on Tuesday.

The fact the reigning champions lost by only four wickets was an achievement in itself. At one stage on the final day they looked to be heading for an innings defeat as they were five wickets down for 75, still trailing Cheshire by 71 runs.

A remarkable innings of 165 from Crowe and some defiant batting also from the lower order saw Berks eventually reach 317 to set the home side a target of 172 in 29 overs, which they reached with just three balls to spare.

Berkshire team manager David Morris praised his side, saying: "I was really proud of them. They played their hearts out. "That knock of Craig's was as good as I have seen for a long time. "The way the lower order batted was also immense and if we had just managed to get another 30 or so runs in the first innings then it could easily have been a different game, but then this game is all about ifs and buts. All credit to Cheshire, they are a very good side."

The 29-year-old Crowe, who plays his club cricket in Leicester, confirmed "This was my best score ever and I have been playing for 20 years." He defied Cheshire for 305 minutes, hitting two sixes and 20 fours. He was involved in three good partnerships - 74 with Michael Bates (38) for the seventh wicket, 77 with Dan Yarnley (27) for the eighth and 70 with Richard Logan (39) for the ninth.

It was a good effort by Logan, as he had missed all of Monday's play due to a virus which confined him to his hotel room and he was still feeling weak on Tuesday.

In both innings, Berks owed a real debt of gratitude to their middle and lower batsmen.

Opener Danny Shilvock made 66 in the first innings, but it was left to Yarnley (44), Logan (41) and Crowe (34) to steer Berkshire from 128-5 to 256.

Cheshire, who finished runners-up to Berkshire in the  Western Division last season  sailed past that total and into a healthy lead as they amassed 402-8 off 90 overs, with Chris Tipper making 82, Ben Spendlove 81 and Matthew Dawson 73.

Pick of the bowlers was Tom Lambert with 4-117 off 25 overs, while his Henley club colleague slow left-armer Euan Brock took 2-58 on his first appearance for the county.

When Berkshire returned to the crease they made another poor start.  Five of the top seven batsmen failed to get into double figures and the visitors looked in deep trouble.

But Crowe stopped the rot and led them on the comeback trail.

"In the context of the match, it was the best innings I have seen from a Berkshire player," said club chairman Cecil Fright. "For sheer application, he was magnificent."

The bowlers then made Cheshire work hard for their victory and took them right to the final over of the match.
Logan took 2-36 off 9.3 overs and Lambert 2-82 off 12.

So after a draw with Devon and a defeat by Cheshire, Berkshire are still seeking their first championship win of the season.

Their next game is away to Dorset starting on July 5 when Jono McLean and James Morris, who both missed the Cheshire game due to work commitments, are expected to return.
 
Berkshire 1st innings: 256 (Shilvock 66, Yarnley 44, Logan 41, Crowe 34; Dumelow 5-96).
Cheshire 1st innings: 402-8 (Tipper 82, Spendlove 81, Dawson 73; Lambert 4-117).
Berkshie 2nd innings:  317 (Crowe 165, Logan 39, Bates 38, Yarnley 27).
Cheshire 2nd innings: 172-6 (Moore 50, Spendlove 35).

Previous match reports - click required report below

Devon CCC 7th -9th June 2009 @ Falkland CC

Herefordshire CCC 31st May 2009 at Eastnor CC

Gloucestershire CCC 11th - 12th April 2009 @ Falkland CC

Middlesex CCC 14th April 2009 @ Falkland CC

Wiltshire CCC 19th April 2009 @ Thatcham Town CC


Devon CCC 10th May 2009 @ Henley CC