Berks bite back to see off Cheshire

NCCA KO Trophy Quarter Final

Berkshire 308-7 (50 Overs), Cheshire 169 (38.1 overs). Berkshire won by 139 runs

Scorecard & video highlights  Match stream NCCA Match Centre

Highlights: Rohan Luthra 44, Max Law 2-44 (Cheshire), Charlie Dunnett 101*, Dan Lincoln 95, Andy Rishton 3-24, Adam Searle 3-27, Sulaiman Akhtar 3-28 (Berkshire)

Berkshire got sweet revenge for last year's semi-final defeat, emphatically beating Cheshire by 139 runs at Falkland CC.

A confident Cheshire arrived in Newbury unbeaten since their first game of the season but after a promising start, things soon went awry.

The home side posted 308-7 with Charlie Dunnett carrying his bat for 101 and skipper, Dan Lincoln making 95.

Cheshire had worked hard in the field, pegging things back mid-innings as Berkshire consolidated, seemingly heading for what felt a par 260/270 before a late surge..

At 37-2, the experienced Lincoln and Dunnett dug deep with an outstanding 157 run partnership for the third wicket. Cheshire toiled and missed a couple of chances to strike back but that late flurry put them on the back foot. Sam Perry chopped and changed eight bowlers in all, with Chris Sanders limping off on his return with a groin strain, after bowling three overs. Law was the most succesful with 2-44 but recognition too for a miserly 1-19 from Andy Jackson, opening and bowling straight through.

Perry (27) and Dan Newton's (21) no-nonsense approach, briskly brought up 49 to take the sting out of the host's tail but a game changing three wickets for 11 runs put Berkshire in the ascendancy with Newton, Perry and Money all back in the hutch and 60 on the board.

George Lavelle promised but fell for 20 and the writing was on the wall. Berkshire made hay with Andy Rishton 3-24, Adam Searle 3-27 and Sulaiman Akhtar 3-28. 

One bright light for Cheshire as they fell for just 169 however, was Widnes youngster Rohan Luthra who was last out having made 44.

A disappointing exit for Cheshire who after humiliation in their first game of the tournament against Hertfordshire, bounced back with wins over Wiltshire, Wales NC and Dorset (who now meet Berkshire in the semi final). 

It was particulalry difficult to take knowing how good Sam Perry's white ball side has been - and is - but they should look ahead positively to the resumption of the T20 competition in two weeks time when they take on Staffordshire at Nantwich.