There was more NCCA One Day Trophy heartache for Cumbria when they lost to Berkshire for the fourth final in a year.
But they would definitely feel that they had let the holders off the hook allowing them to reach 195-8 in their 50 overs,
Berkshire were rocking at 29-4 and reeling when reduced to 56-6 but they recovered to 136-8, and even then Cumbria couldn’t finish them off.
Toby Greatwood (26no) and Tom Nugent (32no) figured in an unbroken stand of 59 which covered the last ten overs.
Ed Moulton had bowled ten tight overs, taking 2-14 and both Michael Slack (2-25) and Sam Sharp (2-25) had plenty of overs left but weren’t used. Skipper Slack decided to stick with spinners Nico Watt (0-64) and Matthew Siddall (1-23) at the death.
Archie Carter made 61 crucial runs in the middle order for Berkshire before he was run out by Ben Walkden and Rhodri Lewis added 26 before the ninth wicket pair provided the holders with those priceless runs in the closing stages.
Although Cumbria lost Freddie Fallows early, Sam Dutton who was fresh from three successive red-ball centuries was going well when he was stumped for 41.
JJ Fielding (43) and Matthew Sempill (34) kept Cumbria going and at 160-7 with eight overs left it was still a game that could have gone either way.
But Drew Postlethwaite, Sharp and Moulton all went in the space of three and a half overs with the addition of just six runs – and it was all over.
Lewis (3-19) and Luke Beaven (3-32) were the main wicket-takers for a Berkshire side who are rapidly making the NCCA Trophy their own property.
