Minor Counties Championship Lincs v Herts (Cleethorpes, 20-22 July) Herts 138 and 273 Lincs 375 and 40-0 Lincs win by 10wkts HERTFORDSHIRE lost to Lincolnshire after struggling in tough conditions at Cleethorpes.

Minor Counties Championship

Lincs v Herts (Cleethorpes, 20-22 July)

Herts 138 and 273 Lincs 375 and 40-0

Lincs win by 10wkts

HERTFORDSHIRE lost to Lincolnshire after struggling in tough conditions at Cleethorpes.

With seven players aged 22 or under in their side, the young Herts team gained valuable experience in Minor Counties Championship Eastern Division played from July 20-22.

The toss proved absolutely crucial at Cleethorpes where ovenight rain promised to make batting before lunch a tough ask. Andy Lewis called wrongly and Herts were almost doomed from that point. They fell to 101-7 at lunch and were soon all out for 138 with Lewis making 40 and David Ward 34.

Rain interrupted much of the rest of the day, but Lincs battled their way through to 102-4 at the close, before a stand of 209 between Lincs captain Robert Cook (154) and his brother Paul (114) buried Herts.

Lincs were eventually all out for 375, giving them a lead of 237, which could have been worse had Herts not battled on in the field. Andrew Hicks led the way with the ball, taking 4-106, while Steve Coleman mopped up the tail to take 3-41.

In the second innings Herts lost wickets too regularly until Matthew Hicks (30) and Aaron Laraman put on 86 for the fifth wicket.

Laraman was unsettled by a horrible blow to the body and was out for 57 just before close of the second day, when Herts were 192-5.

Teenager Jamie Southgate (33) and Andrew Hicks (20) continued the rearguard action, but Herts were finally all out for 273, leaving Lincs just 37 to win, which they knocked off in six overs.

Herts are next in action for a three-day game against Cumberland at Long Marston from Sunday, August 3.

Herts: S. Gale (Potters Bar), G. Brown (Stevenage), A. Lewis (North Mymms), D. Ward (Whitgiftians), A. Laraman (WGC), M. Hicks (Henlow), J. Southgate (WGC), A. Hicks (North Mymms), S. White (WGC), S. Coleman (Bishops Stortford), S. Greenall (Sawbridgeworth).