Holders Berkshire lost to Cornwall by five wickets at Truro on Sunday in the second of their four Group 2 games in the NCCA Trophy.
Half-centuries from Dan Lincoln and Toby Albert took Berkshire to a useful 279-9 in their 50 overs, but Cornwall cracked 30 runs off the final two and a half overs to race home with three balls to spare.
Put in to bat, Berkshire lost Savin Perera for nine, but they soon got the scoreboard ticking over nicely, with Archie Carter making 30 off 29 balls, Euan Woods 32 (49), Albert 51 (73), Lincoln 64 (49). Rhodri Lewis 31 (38) and Andy Rishton 41 (35), the latter being dismissed off the final ball of the innings On Saturday evening, Albert had scored 23 not out for Hampshire (199-6) when they defeated Sussex (177-6) by 22 runs in the Vitality Blast.
Openers Christian Purchase (63) and Chris Gibson (52) produced a solid start for Cornwall with a stand of 92 in 13 overs.
Berkshire brought themselves back into the game by taking four wickets to leave their hosts 151-4, but Paul Smith (49) and Max Tryfonos steadied the ship with a fifth-wicket partnership of 67.
Tryfonos went on to finish unbeaten on 56 and Dan Lello with 26, the pair hitting 23 runs off the 48th and 49th overs bowled by spinners Lewis and Luke Beaven, leaving them needing seven off the final over which came with a six and a single.
Berkshire, with a superior net run rate, stay top of their group table on two points, the same as Devon, Cornwall and Bedfordshire, but Cornwall have played a game less, while. Hertfordshire are bottom after losing their only match so far.
Their next fixture is at Wargrave on June 19 when they host Beds, who last Sunday lost by 161 runs to Devon, who were bouncing back from their 10-wicket defeat by Berkshire at Henley last month.
By Dave Wright
