Minor Counties Championship Round Up

Jamie Barrow was the last-ball hero as Berkshire won a thrilling two-wicket win over Cornwall at Hurst.

Berkshire's No. 9 batsman came to the wicket to face the final delivery of the game from paceman Charlie Shreck needing to score two to win. Shreck had already taken two wickets in the over, but Barrow managed to complete Berkshire's successful chase to a 119 target off only 23 overs, and they banked a 22-point haul to lift themselves right into the thick of the Western Division title race.

Cornwall, forced to follow on 165 runs behind on day one, stretched their second innings past tea on the second day before finally being dismissed for 283 in 103.5 overs. John Emburey, the former England Test spinner, finished with four for 52 and match figures of eight for 87.

Buckinghamshire were the day's other winners in the Eastern Division, an 85-run success over Norfolk at Beaconsfield hoisting them from bottom spot in the table to second place behind Cumberland. It was their first victory over Norfolk since they switched to the Eastern Division in 1992.

Cumberland's fixture at Lincolnshire was washed out by a teatime downpour, while the Western Division game between Wales and Shropshire failed to survive past a lunchtime downpour for the second successive day.

Minor Counties Championship
Colwyn Bay: Wales 31-3 & 62-1 Shropshire 1st innings forfeited. Abandoned. Wales 0 Shrops 1
Beaconsfield: Buckinghamshire 195 & 189-6 Norfolk 137-6 & 162 (JD Batty 4-45) Bucks (18) beat Norfolk (4) by 85 runs
Long Marston: Hertfordshire 171 & 251-8 (DM Ward 100, SJ Lowe 72, CP Seal 4-56) Suffolk 169-8 & 117-7 Drawn. Herts 4 Suffolk 5
Hurst: Berkshire 261 & 119-8 Cornwall 96 & following on 283 (GM Thomas 86, JE Emburey 4-52) Berks (22) beat Cornwall (4) by 2 wickets
Lincoln Lindum: Lincolnshire 172 & 108-0 (SG Plumb 59 not) Cumberland 59-6 & 85-2. Drawn. Lincs 3 Cumberland 4