BERKSHIRE are reaping rich rewards from a decision taken five years ago to place the emphasis on developing homegrown talent, writes Paul Bolton.

They won the Minor Counties Championship in 2016 and successfully defended their title last season when they also completed the double having also lifted the Minor Counties Trophy.

But Berkshire’s success is not measured in silverware alone. Three members of England’s squad at last winter’s ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand – Jack Davies, Euan Woods and Tom Scriven – all played their formative county cricket for their native county.

Ethan Bamber, who played for Berkshire last season through the county’s tie-up with Middlesex, was also in the World Cup squad along with Liam Banks (Staffordshire), Dillon Pennington (Shropshire), Tom Lammonby (Devon) and Prem Sisodiya (Wales) who all played Minor Counties cricket in 2017.

“It’s taken a couple of years for this to build up. In 2013 we decided to change around how we did things and went very much with our younger guys,” said Berkshire coach Tom Lambert.

“In 2013 we won the Trophy. We were still pretty young but to some extent we fluked our way through it. We found a method and a bit of momentum through the group stages then into the knockout stages.

“We stuck with the youngsters in 2014 when we had a difficult season but we learnt a lot. Since then it’s been pretty good. We have a lot of youngsters coming through, all local lads, with two or three more experienced players.

“We have one excellent pro who offers a lot in Chris Peploe, the former Middlesex slow left-armer, and senior players like Richard Morris, our captain, and Stewart Davison. It’s a decent formula and it’s one that has worked pretty well over the last two years.

“The first-class counties can offer players more hours per week than we can. There is no doubt that they have had a huge impact on them getting to national level. But we have picked them from 17-year-olds in Minor Counties cricket.

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Berkshire youngster, Euan Woods.

“It’s exposed them to a good standard of men’s cricket which is pretty hard. To keep the standard high I do agree that each side should have a good ex-professional. The youngsters have to bat and bowl against these guys.

“It’s important that the pros put something back into the counties. Chris Peploe doesn’t just play for us, he also coaches. He has a good impact in the dressing room and youngsters can learn from people like Chris.”

Woods, who is contracted to Surrey, and Davies, who is on Middlesex’s academy, will be on Berkshire duty on Sunday when they continue their defence of the Minor Counties Trophy with a tough away quarter-final assignment against Devon at Sidmouth. Berkshire began their defence with a 36 runs over Cornwall.

Devon were the last side to beat Berkshire in the competition at Exmouth two years ago when a brilliant all-round performance from Dom Bess, now an England Test player, inspired them.

“Over the years we have had a good healthy rivalry with Devon. We are two strong sides and I don’t think that will be any different on Sunday,” Lambert said.

“We go there as slight underdogs even as the holders because we have to go to their ground. They play some brilliant cricket so it will be a real challenge but it’s one that I and the boys are really looking forward to.

“I think whoever wins that game will be favourites to potentially go on and win the trophy.”

Devon have included Exeter’s Ben Green, a member of Somerset’s Royal London One Day Cup side in recent weeks, in their squad along with James Burke, the former Somerset, Surrey and Leicestershire fast bowler who has returned to play for the county where his career began.

Shropshire are without Pennington, who played for them in their first round victory over Herefordshire, for their trip to Manor Park to play Norfolk. The seamer made his senior debut for Worcestershire in their Royal London One Day Cup North Group decider against Warwickshire at Edgbaston on Thursday.

But Alex Wyatt, the former Leicestershire seamer, has recovered from the shoulder injury that ruled him out of the victory over Staffordshire in the last round. Shropshire’s squad also includes captain Steve Leach and Omar Ali, brothers of Worcestershire pair Joe and Moeen.

Oxfordshire, who lost all eight of their group matches in the new Minor Counties T20 competition, host Suffolk at Banbury with Cheshire playing Lincolnshire at Chester Boughton Hall in the other quarter-final.

All matches start at 11am.