Berkshire win gives Mordt the shivers

ECBtv was at the conclusion of the Minor Counties season – click here to watch the video report and an interview with Bjorn Mordt

Captain Bjorn Mordt spoke of his immense pride at leading Berkshire to their first Minor Counties Championship crown for 55 years.

Mordt’s side beat Lincolnshire by eight wickets at Falklands CC, sealing the title with less than five overs remaining of a match that saw two full days lost to rain.

It capped a successful season for Berkshire, while helping to erase the memory of their defeat by Devon in the final of the MCCA Knockout Trophy at Lord’s last month.

“It’s an amazing feeling, especially after the disappointment we had at Lord’s,” Mordt told ECBtv.

“It gives me shivers down my back – it really means a lot to lead these guys.”

Mordt hit an unbeaten hundred in Berkshire’s first-innings total of 358 for six declared, but he reserved special praise for Carl Crowe, whose haul of 6-42 helped bowl the visitors out for just 105.

The off-spinner followed that up with six second-innings wickets – and match figures of 12-149 – as Lincolnshire were limited to 311, leaving Berkshire 59 to win, a target they achieved in 8.1 overs.

“To win has been fantastic, especially in two days,” added Mordt. “The weather was terrible but Carl Crowe’s performance was fantastic – that made a big difference for us.

“Hopefully this is not a one-off and we have to wait another 50 years or more.

“We’re playing good cricket and we want to keep going for the next two or three years. We’ve got a fantastic team and I don’t see why we can’t.”

Minor Counties cricket is often overlooked by those outside the set-up, but Mordt insists the “standard if actually incredibly good”.

He added: “There are a lot of youngsters; I believe that it should be looked upon as a breeding ground for getting guys into first-class cricket.”