While Cumbria were unable to complete their NCCA Championship programme because of COVID-19, their Trophy final opponents Berkshire had their own disappointment.
The four-times champions have failed to reach the national county championship final for the first time since the 2015 season when they finished runners-up to Oxfordshire in the Western Division.
It’s a similar story this time despite a comprehensive 158-run win over Cheshire they were unable to overhaul Oxfordshire in an exciting title race which went right to the second session on the final day.
Oxon, the only side to defeat Berkshire in a championship game in seven years, beat Dorset by seven wickets at Wimborne to finish with 73 points, 14 more than Berkshire, who were 12 ahead of third-placed Cheshire.
All totals, however, are subject to confirmation by the NCCA.
Berkshire declared on 252-9 to set Cheshire a target of 351 and they bowled them out for 192 – 100 more than they had scored in their first innings.
All 20 Cheshire wickets in the match fell to spinners with Euan Wood and Luke Beaven both taking seven and Chris Peploe the other six.
Woods was man of the match, hitting a brilliant 122 not out in the second innings on top of his bowling returns of 5-17 and 2-47. The 22-year-old Henley allrounder also top-scored in Berkshire’s first innings of 190 with 35.
Berkshire will be trying to retain the 50-overs-a-side NCCA Trophy when they take on Cumbria – the side they beat two years ago – in the final at Wormsley on Thursday, September 2.
Cumbria, who had one of their players go down with COVID when they arrived at Hertford on Sunday, have a couple of injury concerns ahead of the final.
