Minor Counties One-day trophy Herts 140-9 Northumberland 141-8 NOT even a wonderful captain s innings by Andy Lewis could prevent Hertfordshire ending a desperately disappointing one-day campaign with their fourth defeat out of four outings at Long Marston

Minor Counties One-day trophy

Herts 140-9 Northumberland 141-8

NOT even a wonderful captain's innings by Andy Lewis could prevent Hertfordshire ending a desperately disappointing one-day campaign with their fourth defeat out of four outings at Long Marston on Sunday.

Just as in their other three matches, Herts were only narrowly on the wrong side of a tense, tight, tussle.

Herts lost the toss and were inserted on an unsurprisingly damp pitch, on which it looked as if batting would be difficult all day.

This proved the case with Gary Brown and Steve Gale out leaving Herts 2-2 before David Ward and Aaron Laraman followed in the same over. Former St Albans all-rounder Simon White built a 48 run partnership with the impressive Lewis who hit 74 before departing when he tried to accelerate late on. Herts closed on 140-9, a score that would not be easy to surpass.

The task for Northumberland was soon increased when they fell to 4-2 in four overs, with Laraman, and Bishops Stortford left-arm spinner Steve Coleman striking quickly. Both wickets were thanks to smart work by wicket keeper Simon Greenall, who replaced Radlett's Tom Jenkins in the team after his decision to step back from county commitments this season.

Northumberland's prospects looked bleak as they fell to 95-8 only for a stubborn and well-worked eighth wicket partnership to secure the win on 141-8. For Herts, Coleman was the pick of the bowlers with 3-17 from his 10 overs, while Laraman took 2-22 and White 2-32.

Herts will be hoping for a change in fortune and a continuation of last year's exciting championship campaign when they start their three-day programme against Cambridgeshire at Bishop's Stortford on Sunday.

Herts: S. Gale (Potters Bar), G. Brown (Stevenage), A. Lewis (North Mymms), D. Ward (Old Whitgiftians), A. Laraman (WGC), B. Frazer (WGC), J. Southgate (WGC), S. White (WGC), R. Watson (Radlett), S. Greenall (Sawbridgeworth), S. Coleman (Bishop's Stortford).