Berkshire will be seeking revenge when they face Cheshire in the quarter-finals of the National Cricket Counties Association Trophy at the Falkland club in Newbury this coming Sunday (11am).
Trophy winners for the previous four years, they crashed to a 133-run loss at Alderley Edge in last year’s semi-final after being dismissed for 223, having reached 122 before losing their first wicket in the 14th over.
Cheshire went on to lose the final to Norfolk at Wormsley. This season, Dan Lincoln’s side won all four of their Group Three games, the first three by wide margins.
Cheshire bounced back from being shot out for just 68 – their lowest-ever Trophy total – by Hertfordshire in their opening Group Four game to win their next three.
Berkshire will be home in the semi-finals on June 22 if they overcome Cheshire, the county that will host the final on July 13.
Last Sunday, they played two T20 games against Oxfordshire at Challow and Childrey CC, with the day’s honours being shared.
In the first, they were restricted to 148-9 with Eddie Campion making 30 and Johnny Connell 29.
Oxon’s Harrison Ward slammed 70 from 29 balls with four sixes and nine fours to help his side to victory by four wickets with three balls to spare.
That was Berkshire’s first defeat of the season, but the side coached
by Bjorn Mordt quickly got back to winning ways as they won the second match by 39 runs.
Charlie Dunnett and Ben Slater, with 44 runs apiece, took Berkshire to180-5, while spinner Campion claimed three wickets to stifle the
hosts’ reply to 141, which included 45 off 26 balls from No 8 Archie Lenham.A newcomer in their squad is batsman Andrew MacEwan, who captained the Bradfield College team last year, when he was also at the Hampshire Academy, where he gained 2nd XI experience. The Reading-born 19-year-old played for Wargrave in 2023.
Berks complete their preparations for Cheshire’s visit by playing a midweek game against Sussex Sharks at Hove.
