Dan Lincoln and Euan Woods both scored centuries as Berkshire clinched the Western Division One title of the National Counties Championship by drawing with Oxfordshire at the Falkland club in Newbury after a marathon second innings that lasted for more than a day.
In Sunday’s first innings, Berkshire were in deep trouble at 81 for six but Charlie Dunnett and Dan O’Driscoll added 188, a club record seventh-wicket stand, as they steered their side to a 90-over total of 317 for seven.
Dunnett made 118 not out off 228 balls, while O’Driscoll fell when four runs short of his century.
Their partnership bettered by three runs the previous seventh wicket record set by James Morris and Bjorn Mordt, also against Oxfordshire at Falkland, in 2009.
Berks looked like enjoying a healthy first-innings lead when they reduced the visitors to 118 for seven, but Tristan Rossouw led a bold fightback with 95 not out. With Prav Chahal making 36 and Tommy Rex 34 not out, Oxfordshire declared on 278 for eight with one ball of their
allocation of 90 overs unused which denied Berkshire maximum bowling points.
Luke Beaven took four wickets for 80 and Woods three for 77.
Berks, needing only to draw to knock Oxon out of the title race, increased their lead of 39 to 168 by the close on Monday and then batted for the whole of the final day.
Openers Rhys Lewis and Johnny Connell were both run out for 14, while Archie Carter made 25, the third wicket going down at 97.
There were also useful contributions from Dunnett (23) and Rhodri Lewis (38), but Woods and Lincoln then took command
The Wargrave team-mates shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 113 before Woods departed for 133 from 259 balls
Skipper Lincoln went on to make 147 from 194 balls, striking 22 boundaries in the process. When he was ninth man out, he declared at 469 after 134.3 overs, bringing the game to an end.
Berkshire now have more than two weeks to prepare for the four-day final at West Bromwich Dartmouth starting on Sunday, September 1, when they will face the Eastern Division One champions. Staffordshire and
Buckinghamshire, captained by Wokingham bowler Tom Hampton, currently occupy the top two places ahead of their clash at High Wycombe starting next Sunday.
By Dave Wright
