Published: Thursday, 7th August, 2008 16:00
Berks suffer Lord's heartbreak
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Cricket
BERKSHIRE went down by 40 runs at Lord’s on Wednesday as Devon lifted the MCCA Trophy in impressive fashion.
Berks always faced a tall order after Devon, who won the trophy in 1992, 1994 and 1998, plundered 290-4 off their 50 overs.
Brave Berks had a real go at chasing down their target, led by a superb 79 from skipper Bjorn Mordt, but in the end they finished well short of their target after being shot out for 250.
Berkshire had been hoping to repeat their Trophy heroics from 2004 when Julian Wood captained the county to Lord’s success, but a brilliant 168-run second wicket partnership between Chris Mole (67) and Rob Dawson (96) swung the game decisively in Devon’s favour.
Mordt had won the toss and sent Devon into bat and Berks got off to a decent start when Henley’s Tom Lambert, who had been an injury doubt, picked up Alex Allen for just eight.
Allen’s opening partner Mole and Dawson then steadied things for the West Country side and started building the platform for Devon’s imposing total.
Berkshire then suffered a blow when professional Richard Johnson was forced off the field with an injury after bowling just four overs and Devon took advantage with Mole and Dawson in imperious form.
The pair had taken the score onto 182 at the start of the 40th over and looked set to really turn the screw when Berks launched a fightback.
Dawson, who had played a glorious innings, was denied the chance of registering a century at the home of cricket when he was caught behind by Mordt off Craig Crowe for 96.
Mole followed soon after for 67 when he was caught at short cover to give Carl Crowe (1/32) a deserved wicket. And when David Court holed out to deep mid-wicket off Steve Naylor to make it 224-4, it looked like Berks might restrict the West Country side to a reasonable target.
But Neil Hancock then took over, smashing the ball to all parts of HQ, wrapping up his half century from just 24 balls, including five fours and three sixes.
Naylor and Mitchell Stokes saw their figures wrecked as Hancock and David Lye (25 not out) piled on 41 from the last two overs as Devon posted 290-4.
Berkshire’s reply got off to the worst possible start when Reading skipper David Barnes smashed a pull shot straight into the hands of mid-wicket to register a third ball duck.
But Stokes and Craig Crowe were undaunted by such an early blow and attacked the Devon bowling with some gusto.
The pair both went on the offensive, mixing some terrific textbook shots with the odd ugly heave that just avoided the Devon fielders.
After posting 50 from just 44 balls, the partnership eventually reached 67 when Stokes chanced his luck once too often.
It seemed as though another steepler into the offside field would fall safe but Lye took a sensational diving catch running back from cover to send him on his way for 42.
Berkshire were to suffer another blow next ball when Crowe smashed a drive straight into the hands of short cover to leave former Somerset bowler Ian Bishop on a hat-trick.
Captain Mordt saw off the hat-trick ball and then went about rebuilding with Jono McLean. But with just 15 added McLean was caught at deep point to leave Berks on 82-4.
When Steve Naylor (9) became Bishop’s fourth victim and James Morris (1) followed soon after, Berks were left floundering on 113-6 in the 20th over.
Mordt and Paul Carter then looked to consolidate and the Berks skipper brought up his half century off 70 balls. Once he reached that milestone, however, he stepped up the pace, smashing one brilliant six into the upper deck.
But with the partnership on 91, Carter was sent back by his skipper when trying for a quick single and was ran out for 31.
Three overs later Berkshire’s hopes where all but extinguished when Mordt was caught in the gully for 79, made from 102 balls.
Johnson shook off his earlier injury to come to the crease but was bowled first ball, before Carl Crowe and Tom Lambert provided some fireworks at the end.
Crowe smashed two huge sixes on his way 29 not out and the pair got the score up to 250 before Lambert was bowled off an inside edge for eight to give Devon, who had lost to Berkshire earlier in the summer, the glory.
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