Cheshire keep title hopes alive with Berkshire win
Published: 21st July 2010 11:05 |
CHESHIRE celebrated a brilliant win over Berkshire today as they got their Western Division title defence back on track.
Pictured (above): Cheshire's players celebrate another wicket in a fine win over leaders Berkshire
By Neil Goulding
Oulton Park youngster Johnny Kettle finished with a Cheshire best unbeaten 129 as the defending champions clinched a much-needed 76 runs victory at Finchampstead Cricket Club
Ben Spendlove finished with 136, while Hyde all-rounder Dan Berry smashed 63 not out from just 51 balls as Cheshire, having resumed on 176-2, declared on 366-5 in their second innings from 72.2 overs.
That left Berkshire needing 341 runs for victory on the final afternoon of the match - but that target proved too much as Richard Logan impressed with a 5-85 return, while fellow seamer James Hawley and left-arm spinner Johnny Fawcett both claimed two wickets each.
Nathan Dumelow also claimed a scalp as Berkshire lost wickets at regular intervals and their own title challenge took a unwanted knock.
And with victory Cheshire picked up 22 points and Berkshire just six as the gap at the top the table closed.
Stephen Wheeler was the pick of the Berkshire bowlers with three wickets, which took him to a seven-wicket haul in the match after his 4-41 return in the first innings.
But Spendlove and Kettle shared in second wicket partnership of 209 to lay the platform for victory.
Spendlove's innings lasted 139 balls and included one six and 20 fours, while Kettle, drafted into the side in the absence of Warren Goodwin, starred with a patient knock which lasted 217 balls and included 12 fours.
"That's a great win for us," praised Hall. "We've always tried to win this game and fair play to Berkshire, they went for the runs because they want to win this Division as well.
"But we bowled really well to bowl them out, especially on a really flat pitch. Both sides didn't get bowled out in their first innings, and then us in the second innings, so it just showed how well we bowled.
"There's two games left now, so we're really back in the hunt. Losing to Dorset was pretty hard to swallow, but if we can win our last two games then we'll stand a really good chance of defending there title."
Carl Crowe top-scored for Berkshire with 55, while skipper Bjorn Mordt (39) and Steve Naylor (48 not out) were also in the runs as the hosts rallied.
But despite a valiant fifth wicket partnership of 88 between Crowe and Naylor, Berkshire fell quite a way short.
Scorecard - Cheshire won the toss and batted
Cheshire 354-6 declared, 88 overs (Duffy 172, Hall 111 not out, Dixon 29, Wheeler 4-41)
Berkshire 390-6, 90 overs (McLean 182, Hodnett 70 not out, Morat 66, Dumelow 3-129, Logan 2-117, Berry 1-33)
Cheshire 366-5 declared, 72.2 overs (Spendlove 136, Kettle 129 not out, Berry 63 not out, Wheeler 1-93
Berkshire 254 all out, 66.4 overs (Crowe 54, Roberts 49, Naylor 48 not out, Logan 5-85, Hawley 2-80, Roberts)
Result: Cheshire won by 76 runs. Cheshire 22 pts, Berkshire 6pts
Cheshire team:
Andy Hall (Bramhall) - captain
Johnny Kettle (Oulton Park)
Ben Spendlove (Oulton Park)
James Duffy (Hyde)
Lee Dixon (Oxton)
Nathan Dumelow (Oulton Park)
Matt Dawson (Bramhall) - wicketkeeper
Dan Berry (Hyde)
Richard Logan (Chichester)
James Hawley (Hyde)
Johnny Fawcett (Didsbury)
12th man: Pat Roberts (Toft)
Scorer: Janet Herbert
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