BERKSHIRE warmed up for their Marlborough Cup match against Wiltshire at North Maidenhead CC on Sunday (11am) with an inter-squad game at Henley CC, writes Dave Wright.

County captain James Morris (Datchet) skippered one side with brother Richard (Henley) leading the other - and it was the former who took the family bragging rights, winning by 21 runs.

This was largely due to big-hitting Dan Lincoln, who smashed 100 off 70 balls with seven sixes and nine boundaries in a 74-minute stay at the crease.

Lincoln and his Finchampstead team-mate Andy Rishton (58no off 63 balls) lifted the total from 69-4 in the 31st over to 217-5 in the 49th to help James’ team to reach 229-5 by the end of their 50 overs.

Richard’s men were dismissed for 208 although only nine wickets went down as the skipper sportingly retired when he was on 53 (off 48 balls, 3-6s, 5-4s) with the total on 150 after 25 overs.

He and Wokingham CC teenager Archie Carter (52 off 88 balls) shared a third-wicket stand of 83 in 15 overs, taking the total from 67-2 to 150. There was a mid-innings slump although Carter off plenty of resistance, occupying the crease for 97 minutes before being the seventh man out when the total was on 185 in the 36th over.

Finchampstead wicket-keeper Sukhi Kang made 24 and Chris Peploe (Datchet) 13 before the innings ended in the 43rd over.

Pick of the bowlers were Boyne Hill spinner Mark Firth with figures of 10-2-31-3, Osterley’s Fahim Bahrami 10-0-62-3 and Rishton 9-1-38-2.

Head coach Tom Lambert described it as a “very good work-out” for his players.

The Minor County champions are now looking forward to taking on Wiltshire in their annual season curtain-raiser.

Before the game, Berkshire will be announcing a major sponsorship deal with Maidenhead company Summerleaze Ltd in addition to confirming an exciting tie-up with County champions Middlesex CC, who will have representatives at the game.

Henley duo Euan Woods and Tom Nugent, who both missed last Sunday’s match, will be available, but their new club colleague Waqas Hussain, who has joined from Slough, is ruled out after breaking his left hand whilst playing in Australia. He is expected to be sidelined for a month.

Lincoln is included in the squad despite his on-going football commitments with Ryman League title-chasers Bognor Town. He won the league’s goalkeeper-of-the month award for March and last Saturday saved a penalty in his side’s 4-0 win at Sudbury.

Berkshire squad: Wilkin (Ealing), Davies (Henley), Woods (Henley), R Morris (Henley), J Morris (capt, Datchet), Rishton (Finchampstead), Lincoln (Finchampstead), Peploe (Datchet), Davison (wkt, Henley), Nugent (Henley), Bamber (North Middlesex), A Carter (Wokingham).

  • READING CC begin their pre-season preparations with a friendly against Burbage & Easton Royal on Sunday (1pm).

Squad: Chima. Phillips, Roberts, Priddle, Boyce (c), Wahab, Sidhu, Foster (wkt), Fraser, Iftikhar, Smart. Reserves: Shenica Gumbs, Benbow, Dhillon.