National Counties Championship Final 2022 Day One Review

Tom Nugent justified the decision of his captain Dan Lincoln to bowl first by taking six for 66 to put Berkshire in control on a rain-shortened opening day of the National Counties Championship final at West Bromwich Dartmouth.

Lincoln thought long and hard about batting first after he won the toss but decided that facing Mark Footitt and Curtis Free on a green pitch and under heavy cloud cover might be a risky proposition.

It proved to be the right call as Nugent exploited the conditions expertly, taking four for 35 in his first 12 overs then returning to help slow left-armer Luke Beaven mop up the tail before the forecast rain arrived.

Nugent’s figures were the best on the first day of a Championship final since Neil Hancock of Devon took seven for 80 against Bedfordshire at Exmouth in 2004.

Lincolnshire will have been disappointed to have been dismissed for 176 inside 42 overs but it could easily have been much worse for them.

They were 51 for five inside the first hour before Dan Freeman (28) and Jordan Cook (35) repaired some of the damage with a sixth wicket partnership of 48.

Freeman departed just before lunch when he was bowled trying to cut off-spinner Euan Woods and Lincolnshire briefly prospered after the interval when Nic Keast made 38 from 31 balls and Footitt 23 not out from nine balls.

Nugent returned to the attack and struck twice in his first over back, first bowling Cook then having James Dobson caught behind fanning down leg-side.

Keast, who was dropped in the deep early in his innings, fell tamely when he mis-timed a drive to mid-off and Free went LBW to the next ball from Beaven.

Berkshire were about to start their first innings when drizzle, which had twice interrupted play, returned and was followed by heavy showers which soon left puddles on the outfield.

National Counties Championship Final

First day of four

West Bromwich Dartmouth: Lincolnshire 176 (Tom Nugent 6-66) v Berkshire