da bet sport： Steve O’Shaughnessy, the former Lancashire and Worcestershire batsman,answered Cumberland’s call with a priceless innings of 118 on the openingday of the Minor Counties final at Netherfield
16-Sep-1999CUMBERLAND v DORSET at Netherfield – Day one of threeSteve O’Shaughnessy, the former Lancashire and Worcestershire batsman,answered Cumberland’s call with a priceless innings of 118 on the openingday of the Minor Counties final at Netherfield.O’Shaughnessy revived the Eastern Division winners from 12 for three to aformidable 315 for seven off their mandatory 80 overs. Dorset, however, rodetheir luck to finish the day on 84 without loss off 31 overs. The final wasoff to a sensational start after Cumberland skipper Simon Dutton chose tobat on winning the toss. John Glendenen pushed back a return catch to SteveForshaw from the first ball of the match, dangerman Ashley Metcalfe slicedToby Sharpe to third-man in the second over and Terry Hunte then played alazy shot to square-leg.Survival then turned into revival as O’Shaughnessy and opener David Pearson(62) set about repairing the early damage.They shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 157 in 52 overs before anchor-manPearson became Dorset leg-spinner Vyvian Pike’s 66th championship victim ofthe season.O’Shaughnessy, who hit two sixes and 17 fours, was sixth out on 218 in the68th over, but some improvised acceleration from Dutton (41 off 42 balls)and Paul Beech (43 not out off 34 balls) swept Cumberland past 300 ineye-catching fashion.Scores:Cumberland 315-7 (80 overs, S J O’Shaughnessy 118, D J Pearson 62, TC Hicks3-141) Dorset 84-0 (31 overs)CUMBERLAND v DORSET at Netherfield – Day two of threeA RECORD-BREAKING 170 not out from Andrew Sexton revived Dorset’s fortuneson a fluctuating second day at Netherfield.Sexton, the 20-year-old left-hander on the MCC groundstaff, ensured theplay-off went into a third day as Dorset dug deep to launch a resolutesecond innings recovery after being forced to follow on 185 runs behind.They closed on 260 for three, holding a lead of 75 runs, with Sexton on 170not out – the highest ever score in a Minor Counties final. Dorset’s bidto match Cumberland’s 315 for seven went seriously downhill from the thirdover of the day. They were dismissed for just 130, their overnight 84without loss eroded by a combination of some back-bending seam bowling fromDavid Pennett (3-18), Marcus Sharp (2-23) and Paul Beech (3-40) and someundistinguished shots.From 86 for nought, they lurched to 101 for eight. At one stage they almostcame to a total standstill, mustering just one run in 11 overs. The tailwagged briefly as the last two wickets yielded 29 runs, and it might havebeen even more had Tim Lamb not been run out when he clearly appeared tohave made his ground.Five minutes batting was left before lunch but chaos reigned when both teamscame out to field. Dorset had not received the official request to bat againand it was a further eight minutes before Jon Hardy and Sexton took guardfor the one remaining over of the session.When Hardy fell to the third ball of the afternoon the omens did not lookgood for Dorset.But Sexton profited from an easing pitch and some tired bowlers, and herevealed his liking for the leg-side. A second-wicket stand of 155 withPeter Deakin (46) laid the foundations for a face-saving fightback, andalthough Deakin departed to a dubious lbw decision against leg-spinner SimonKippax, Sexton advanced to his maiden county century, hitting 22 fours anda six in an innings spanning 220 balls. All but 33 of his 170 came throughthe on-side.Scores:Cumberland 315-7 (80 overs) Dorset 130 (59.2 overs, AJ Sexton 41, D B Pennett3-18, P Beech 3-40) & following on 260-3 (73 overs, AJ Sexton 170 not out, P JDeakin 46)CUMBERLAND v DORSET at Netherfield – Day three of threeCUMBERLAND traded the 1998 Eastern Division wooden-spoon for the 1999 MinorCounties championship trophy after an unbeaten century from Ashley Metcalfepiloted them to a six-wicket win over a Dorset side who have now lost in twosuccessive finals.The inaugural three-day championship play-off was a resounding success, notleast due to a wicket that gave bounce on the first two days, and turnedyesterday.Dorset’s second innings of 396 was a personal triumph for left-hander AndrewSexton, whose elegant 196 off 266 balls was only seven runs away frommatching the county’s record individual score, Geoff Courtney’s 203 not outagainst Oxfordshire in 1953.David Pennett, bowling through the pain of a knee injury, would haveimproved on his figures of four for 106 had Cumberland not dropped threecatches, but it was ironic that the leg breaks of Simon Kippax should helppolish off the Dorset tail. Dorset themselves have harvested rich rewardsfrom Vyvian Pike, their own leg-spinner, but he was one of Kippax’s threevictims in 15 balls, bowled around his legs.Stuart Rintoul, the Dorset captain, returned to the crease after retiringwith a lump above his right eye after a pull against Steve O’Shaughnessywedged in his helmet grille, but it was to little avail. Pike took his tallyof wickets for the season to 68 – the best return in the championship for 25years – but Metcalfe’s 115 not out off 164 balls paced Cumberland home with20 balls to spare.Scores:Cumberland 315-7 (80 overs) & 214-4 (61.4 overs, AA Metcalfe 115*)Dorset 130 (59.2 overs, AJ Sexton 41, D B Pennett 3-18, P Beech 3-40) &following on 396 (115.5 overs, AJ Sexton 196, PJ Deakin 46, SAJ Kippax 4-91, D BPennett 4-106)CUMBERLAND WON BY 6 WICKETS