Berkshire v Herefordshire – Minor Counties Championship – Western Division - Match Recap
Two double tons from the Berkshire players saw them defeat Herefordshire by an innings and 44 runs in the Minor Counties Championship, Western Division. The three day match was played at the Memorial Ground, Finchampstead, between July 24 and 25, 2011.
It took the hosts just two days to wrap up the encounter, with the stars being, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jonathan-James-McLean-c69126, amassing twin tons as the team put on a mammoth first innings total of 507.
In reply Herefordshire offered no resilience and were forced to follow on. Still, the pressure was too much to handle as they handed their opponents a resounding victory.
It was http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bjorn-Haaken-David-Mordt-c48159, the skipper of Berkshire, who winning the toss, had no hesitation in opting to bat first.
On a placid track, they lost opener http://www.senore.com/Cricket/David-Edward-Barnes-c52760 for 9, after he was adjudged plumb in front by the standing umpire.
This however, did not stop the runs, as Roberts and Mclean partnered in a 371-run stand for the 2nd wicket. Both scored runs freely as they played good attacking cricket.
They piled on the runs with some sublime stroke play, which left the visitors stunned. The strike rate was also impressive, going over 80, with the bowlers having no answer to the stroke play.
After almost playing the good part of the day, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/David-James-Reading-Exall-c52894. However, he had completed an amazing double ton, which included a whopping 28 boundaries and one massive six.
After that, Hereforshire made inroads at regular intervals but the damage had already been done. It was then left to Mclean to reach his double century, greeted with appreciation by the watching fans and players.
He remained unbeaten on 210, an innings compiled of a mammoth 29 fours and 2 hefty blows for maximum.
At the end, the hosts had reached 507 for the loss of 7 wickets, with the pick of the bowlers for the opponents being Stephen Bevan, with 4 scalps to his name.
Herefordshire had a stop and start sort of a flow to the innings, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. The only meaningful partnership came for the third-wicket, between opener, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Christopher-William-Boroughs-c51025, who top scored with
77.
They shared an 80-run stand, but soon afterwards the partnership came to an end. Berkshire pounced on the opportunity and dismissed their opponents for 214 in just 65.3 overs.
Forced to follow on, the momentum was with the home side as they wrapped up the game in just two days. Though, the visitors fared well this time out, it was never going to be enough with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shaun-Udal-c2505 grabbing a five-wicket haul to bundle out Herefordshire
for 249 in their second innings.
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