​BERKSHIRE won the first of their four Unicorns Trophy Group One games by beating Devon by 44 runs at Henley CC on Sunday, writes Dave Wright.

They made 234-9 off their 50 overs before dismissing the visitors for 190 in the 47th over.

Skipper James Morris said: “It was very important to get off to a winning start, so we are all delighted. We were not at our best; it was more of a scrap than we would have liked.”

Morris, who had lost the toss, played a leading role in digging Berkshire out of a hole after he had seen the first four wickets tumble for 37 in the opening nine overs.

He occupied the crease for five minutes short of two hours, during which he was involved in two productive partnerships.

Andy Rishton, who scored 26, joined his captain in a 40-run stand for the fifth wicket and, following his departure, Dan Lincoln helped Morris lift the total from 77-5 in the 21st over to a more healthy-looking 161 by the 37th over. Lincoln was dismissed for 43, which came off 57 balls and included three sixes and four fours.

In the next over Morris was trapped lbw for 47, which he made off 84 deliveries, to leave Berkshire on 162-7.

On a wicket that was lively at times, the hosts wanted to get more than 200 runs on the board, and so they owed much to Stewart Davison, with 33 not out, and Tom Nugent, 25 off 29 balls, for adding 44 invaluable runs for the ninth wicket.

Morris said: “We knew it was a competitive score and once we got among them the wickets ourselves we could turn the screw and start creating a bit of pressure on Devon.”

The visitors lost half their side for 95 in under 18 overs, which included two wickets in successive deliveries for Chris Peploe, the first being Ben Green when he was going well on 44 (10 fours) off 42 balls.

Skipper Josh Bess (43) and Jack Dart (23) added 54 for the sixth wicket, which fell at 149 in the 34th over. Bess was brilliantly run out by bowler Ollie Wilkin, while Dart became Peploe’s third victim (3-30) of the game.

Nugent (3-40) and Euan Woods (2-30) cleaned up the rest of the Devon innings in the space of six overs.

Morris said: “We took wickets at important times when they were looking to build partnerships. This was through pressure and bowling well.

“It may have looked as if a couple of their batsmen made loose shots, but it was a credit to our boys for creating the pressure that made them do it.”

As far as the bowling, the only blemish was the fact they conceded a total of 20 wides among 32 extras.

“As I said, we were not at our best and must have given them around 50 runs in freebies,” admitted the captain.

Berkshire will be looking to follow up this victory with another next Sunday when they take on Oxfordshire at Bicester & North Oxford CC.

Vice-captain Richard Morris returns to the side, having missed the Devon game due to work commitments.

Scores: Berkshire: Wilkin 8, Davies 10, Woods 15, Gilmour 0, J Morris 47, Rishton 26, Lincoln 43, Davison 33no, Peploe 7, Nugent 25, Gregory 0no. Extras 20. Total: 234-9 (50 overs).

Bowling: J Bess 1-58, Whitlock 2-35, Barlow 3-33, Goodey 2-38, D Bess 1-50, Golding 0-15.

Devon: Pyle 18, Lewis 0, Thompson 4, Green 44, J Bess 43, Golding 0, Dart 23, D Bess 4, Barlow 9, Goodey 7, Whitlock 6no. Extras 32. Total: 190 (46.5 overs).

Bowling: Nugent 3-40, Wilkin 1-42, Gregory 0-11, Rishton 0-31, Peploe 3-30, Woods 2-30.