LINCOLNSHIRE BEATEN BY HERTFORDSHIRE

FROM CHRIS KEYWOOD - CHAIRMAN, LINCOLNSHIRE C.C.C.

 

For their second Minor Counties Eastern Division match Lincolnshire visited Hertfordshire. With opening bowler, Adam Shepherd, out injured and Mat Lineker playing for the Unicorns, Lincs recalled Lewis Bramley to the side with Dan Birch returning to open the innings. For the second game running they participated in a match dominated by the batsmen. On winning the toss on an excellent pitch at Hertford they had no hesitation in deciding to bat first. The morning session was dominated by Dan Birch and by lunch he had reached a century with Lincs totalling 182 for2. Well supported firstly by Harry Warwick and then Conrad Louth (52) Birch continued his pre lunch assault on the Hertfordshire bowlers and eventually reached 200 off 225 balls including seventeen fours and seven sixes. In so doing he joined an elite list of Lincolnshire batsmen to score 200 in a Minor Counties match. Following his dismissal the scoring rate inevitably slowed and at the end of their allotted 90 overs Lincs were 373 for 7 with debutant Will Edwards making 37.

When Hertfordshire batted the run feast continued as their openers, Daniel Blacktopp and Harry Ramsden created a new opening partnership record for their County putting on 292 for their first wicket. Blacktopp eventually fell for 155 and Ramsden for 126 and further half centuries from Nesan Jeyaratnam and Jamie Southgate pushed the home side's final total to 424 for 6, a lead of 51. Harry Clewett was Lincolnshire's most successful bowler taking 4 for 130.

Lincolnshire's second innings was to be the turning point in the game as they needed to set their opponents at least 300 in the last innings. Again Dan Birch and Conrad Louth were the main scorers in the top order making 73 and 45 respectively. However at 150 for 7 Lincolnshire's hopes looked slim and it was only the lower order of Lewis Bramley with 50 and Matt Carter with 54 not out that gave the visitors some hope as they were finally dismissed for 289, setting Herts 239 to win.

If Lincolnshire were to pull off a victory early wickets were crucial but again the Herts openers gave their side a solid start putting on 99 for the first wicket, Blacktopp with 48 and Ramsden 51. Further solid knocks from Scott (50) Frazer (32 not out) and Southgate (30) saw Herts to victory shortly before lunch on the third day.

This was a hard match for Lincolnshire's youthful side but there were many positives to take from the game, despite defeat. 

Lincolnshire took 6 points from the match and Hertfordshire 23 leaving Lincs in a mid table position prior to their next fixture at home to Cumberland at Cleethorpes commencing on Sunday, 7thJuly.