Spendlove keeps Cheshire on track

Ben Spendlove's 124 put Cheshire in control against Herefordshire © David Bailey

Former Derbyshire batsman Ben Spendlove kept Cheshire on course for the Minor Counties Championship Western Division with a century against Herefordshire at Eastnor CC.

The 29-year-old Oulton Park right-hander struck 124 to carry the visitors to 328 for eight and a maximum four batting points from the game.

Left-arm seamer Adam Syddall and off-spinner Daniel Berry then claimed a wicket apiece before close to leave the basement battlers in strife at 26 for two.

Hyde's James Duffy also chipped in with a half-century, as he and Spendlove shared a crucial fourth-wicket century stand to recover from the loss of three early wickets.

Stand-in captain Nathan Dumelow, deputising for Andrew Hall, won the toss and elected to bat. Hall had to pull out of the game late in the day on Friday due to work commitments.

"We certainly would have accepted that position at 11am," said Cheshire team manager Sandy Scrimgeour, who admitted that his side are not even bothering to look at what fellow title chasers Berkshire are doing.

Cheshire went into this clash with a five point lead over Berkshire with two games to go, but Scrimgeour added: "We just keep doing what we have been doing all season. We just need to look after our own results.

"If we win our two remaining games, then we will win the league. It doesn't matter what anybody else does."

Syddall took a wicket in the first over of Herefordshire's innings, while Berry got one in the last over of a day that was interrupted by some late rain.