CHESHIRE suffered Minor Counties Championship heartbreak on Tuesday as Berkshire pipped them to a place in the final by claiming the Western Division title on the last day of the regular season.
Cheshire were just two wickets away from a final spot – but could only draw their game against fellow title rivals Cornwall at Nantwich, which they needed to win.
The visitors were set 334 to win from 72 overs and finished on 261-8.
Neston bowler Chris Finegan claimed second innings figures of 5-83 from 19 overs to add to his first innings five-wicket haul.
But it was not quite enough, as former Somerset stalwart Keith Parsons top scored for the Cornishmen with 64.
Finegan took two early wickets, while Adam Syddall also got one, to help rattle the visitors at 30-3 at lunch. But 35-year-old Parsons marshalled a middle order recovery, which eventually foiled Andrew Hall’s men.
