HERTFORDSHIRE suffered a disappointing start to their Minor Counties Championship campaign when they were crushed by Cambridgeshire. Skipper Andy Lewis challenged his side

Minor Counties Championship

Cambridgeshire 267 and 236-9 dec Herts 132 and 233

HERTFORDSHIRE suffered a disappointing start to their Minor Counties Championship campaign when they were crushed by Cambridgeshire.

Skipper Andy Lewis challenged his side to produce better displays after the emphatic loss. He said: "If as individuals we do not work harder at our own games, it will be difficult to improve as a unit. Batting for longer periods will mean not only that we take time out of the game, but also that we put together bigger totals. In the field we must bowl on one side of the wicket to stop the opposition having the freedom of getting off strike. If we do that then we will build pressure and they will make mistakes."

Rare highlights for Herts were the performances of wicket keeper Simon Greenall and young Stevenage batsman Gary Brown who scored a gritty 70 in the second innings. Lewis said: "Simon Greenall's wicket keeping on a two-paced wicket was an absolute highlight. He showed what a great pair of hands he has. Gary showed he has great potential as a Minor Counties player but he should have gone through to score his first hundred for us having done all the hard work. He has worked very hard on his technique over the last year and now needs to do the same with his mental approach in order to turn good seventies into match-winning hundreds."

Cambs won the toss on Sunday, June 8 and compiled a workmanlike total of 267. Welwyn Garden City all-rounder Aaron Laraman took 4-31 and Bishops Stortford left-arm spinner Steve Coleman claimed 4-86. The reply from Herts slumped to 75-5 and they were all out for 132, conceding a decisive first-innings lead of 135.

In normal Herts fashion they started to fight back strongly, reducing Cambs to 88-5 but they were then frustrated by a series of late partnerships and Cambs managed to declare on 236-9, leaving Herts 372 to win.

In reply, Herts collapsed to 123-5 as the chance of winning slipped away. Brown combined with Welwyn Garden City man Ben Frazer for the best cricket of the day to secure some credibility for the hosts. Frazer scored 61 off just 30 balls, with two sixes and eight fours but when Brown was caught for 70, the tail subsided meekly and Herts were all out for 233.

Herts: S. Gale (Potters Bar), G. Brown (Stevenage), A. Lewis (North Mymms, capt), D. Ward (Old Whitgiftians), A. Laraman (WGC), N. Lamb (WGC), B. Frazer (WGC), M. Smith (West Herts), S. White (WGC), S. Coleman (Bishops Stortford), S. Greenall (Sawbridgeworth).