SKIPPER Bjorn Mordt praised his Berkshire team-mates after their victory in the final of the MCCA KO Cup final.

Mordt led his side to a six-wicket win over Hertfordshire in a rain-affected game at Lord's last Thursday.

"It was a fantastic day," said the Zimbabwean. "After all the hard work we have put in this season it was nice to come away with a win.

"All 11 guys were awesome with everyone playing their part in a solid team performance."

Mordt, however, singled out man-of-the-match Michael Roberts for special praise.

"He was superb. He has been our player of the season," said Mordt after seeing Roberts blast his way to 97 not out.

Mordt, with 12 not out, was with his Henley team-mate at the crease when Berkshire reached 196-4 off 34.2 overs in reply to Hertfordshire's 194-9 off 36 overs.

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MATCH REPORT ON THE DAY (25.08.11)

6.40pm - Lord's now looks resplendant in the evening sunlight as Berks Bjorn Mordt lifts the trophy for Berks.

The end of a good day's cricket at the home of cricket.

6.30pm - Berks are MCCA KO Cup winners.

Despite a nervy last 45 minutes, Berks CCC were comfortable winners over Hertfordshire CCC.

The toss proved crucial, allowing Berks to bowl when the conditions favoured them.

Michael Roberts should be named man of the match for his brilliant unbeaaten 97.

6.27pm - BERKSHIRE WIN!

Four byes delivers Berks a memorable viictory by six wickets and with 10 deliveries remaining.

Roberts finished 97no, Mordt 12no.

6.23pm - Berks 192-4. They need just three runs in two overs to win.

Roberts is off strike and could be stranded on 97.

6.18pm - Roberts hits Rudge for six to settle the nerves.
 
Berks 181-4, Berks need 14 off 24 deliveries.

Roberts on 96no.

6.15pm - Berks 170-4 off 31 overs. Berks need 25 runs to win off five overs.

Roberts 88no.,

6.09pm - Berks 166-4 off 30 overs.

6.06pm - WICKET!  Craig Crowe top edges to Lamb of  Walker at short fine leg. Berks 160-4.

6.02pm - WICKET!  Carl Crowe stumped for 0. Lasted three deliveries.

Berks 159-3 off 29 overs.  Craig Crowe in.

Berks need 36 in seven overs.

5.59pm - WICKET!  McLean (11) slaps long hop to Ballard at cover off Frazer.

Are Herts still  in this?

5.55pm - Roberts (81) goes maximum into the Grandstand, straight into Berks' fans.

Berks 154-1 off 28 overs.

5.50pm - Berks 143-1. Need 52 off nine overs.

5.47pm - WICKET!  Barnes bowled by spinner Southgate for 52 off 67 balls.

McLean in. Berks 135-1 off 26 overs.

They need 60 to win off last 10 overs.

5.47pm - Roberts hits six into Grandstand.

5.44pm - Berks 126-0 off 25 overs.

5.40pm - Half century for Barnes off 61 balls.

5.37pm - Berks 122-0 off 23 overs.

Roberts 64no, Barnes 49no.

5.33pm - Southgate's first over goes for 10.

5.30pm - Roberts brings up his half century in 21st over off 70 deliveries. Berks 106-0.

Spinner Southgate getting first chance to bowl. Good luck son!

5.27pm - Berks 103-0 off 20 overs.

Barnes hits pulled six in Grandstand off Rudge to bring up 100 partnership.

5.20pm - Berks 87-0 off 18 overs.

Roberts 45no, Barnes 34no.

Heat is on Herts bowlers. Journalists in Media Centre feeling the heat also as sun streams through window but no air con.

5.14pm - Berks 78-0 off 16 overs.

Berks need 117 runs off 20 overs at a run rate of just under six per over.

Crucially they have all 10 wickets in hand.

5.09pm - Berks 75-0 off 15 overs.

Barnes 29no, Roberts 38no.

5.08pm - Herts bowlers getting nothing out the pitch and doing little with the ball.

Their lack off a spin option is a problem in these balmy conditions.

Barnes and Roberts peppering short Grandstand side boundary.

5.03pm - Berks 65-0 off 14 overs. Both batsmen look strong off their legs.

5.02pm - Little joy for Herts' all-seam attack. Sun is out and Berks are making hay.

5.00pm - Berks 51-0 off 12 overs.

Roberts 24no, Barnes 20no. Berks are well on top...Herts need a wicket quickly.

4.59pm - Berks 49-0 off 11 overs.

4.43pm - Berks 38-0 off eight overs.

Roberts 16no, Barnes 18no.

4.40pm - Berks 29-0 off seven overs.

Walker and Lamb bowling decently in tandem but without threat. Walker in particular is very accurate using the slope well.
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4.30pm - Berks 25-0 off five overs. Only one team winning this match at present

Barnes 10no, Roberts 12no.

4.22pm - Berks 21-0 off three overs.

Straight forward for Berks at moment.

Herts seamers not doing much with ball as cloud cover disperses.

4.11pm - Berks start reply with Barnes and Roberts at crease. Rudge bowling.

Roberts hits two fours as Berks reach 8-0 from first over.


TEA BREAK

Berks: Mordt 1-30, Lambert 1-28, Carl Crowe 0-28, Peploe 3-38, Naylor 2-31, Udal 2-37.

Berks need 195 to win at 5.42 runs per over.

4.00pm - Herts end innings on 194-9.

Last two overs went for just three runs.

3.55pm - Lambert bowls penultimate over and it's a maiden.

Herts 191-9 with one over left.

3.44pm - WICKET! Southgate caught by McLean offf Udal for 36.

Herts 189-9 off 33.2  overs.

3.42pm - WICKET!  Rudge (2) caught on boundary by Barnes looking to slog it. Another wicket for Peploe.

Southgate plays same shot two balls later but is dropped on boundary by Barnes.

Berks first dropped catch of match.

Herts 189-8 wiithh fouur overs left.

3.41pm - Herts 187-7 wiith four overs remaining. Southgate batting well on 35.

3.40pm - WICKET!  Udal comes back on and bowls Walker for a well made 18. Walker came down the track but mised the ball.

3.35pm - Walker and Southgate put on 50 at a run a ball.

Herts 183-6 off 31 overs.

3.30pm - Paceman Lambert back on.

Herts 178-6 wiith six overs remaining.

Southgate 29no, Wallker 16no.

3.25pm - Southgate hits 4-4-6 off Naylor as Herts get into business end of innings.

Big over takes their score to 172-6 with seven overs left.

3.15pm - Walker plays reverse sweep for four.

Herts 152-6 off 26 overs. 10 overs remaining. 

Southgate 11no, Walker 9no.

3.05pm - Berks bowl 12th wide of innings - that's two whole extra overs they will have to bowl.

Craig Crowe back on for underpar Udal.

3.02pm - WICKET!  Naylor strikes again. This time he has Herts skipper Lewis lbw after playing across his front pad.

Herts 140-6 off 23 overs. Southgate faces first ball and edges through slips for four.

2.51pm - WICKET!  Naylor's first delivery is high full toss which Frazer hits to Peploe at long off.

Gift of a wiicket for Berks. Herts keep losing wiickets when seemingly well set.

Herts 126-5 off 21 overs.

2.50pm - Udal smashed for three boundaries off the over, all from bad deliveries.

Herts 125-4 off 20 overs. Naylor replaces Peploe from Nursery End.

2.40pm - WICKET!  Ballard caught at long-off by Barnes for 35 off Peploe.

Ended a good partnership. Herts 102-4 off 17 overs.

2.36pm - Herts 96-3 off 16 overs.

Ballard 31no, Frazer 10no

2.33pm - Shaun Udal on from Pavilion End - Berks' main wicket-taking option.

2.25pm- WICKET!  Blacktopp caught on midwicket boundary by Craig Crowe off Peploe for 28 looking to hit a maximum.

Frazer comes to wicket. Herts 83-3 off 13 overs.

Match well poised and being playyed in bright sunshine.

Square looks like it never rained today. Drained very well.

2.23pm - Herts put their foot down, finding it easier against spinnerrs. Boundaries coming.

Blacktopp being aggressive while Ballard playing anchor role.

Herts 77-2 off 12 overs. Blacktopp 28no, Ballard 24no.

2.15pm - Herts 64-2 off 10 overs. Ballard 14no, Blacktopp 26no.

2.12pm - Off-spinner Carl Crowe comes on from Pavilion End.

Two spinners on for Berks now although square boundaries are just 50 yards each.

2.10pm - Left-arm spinner Peploe replaces Mordt.

Herts 57-2 off 9 overs.

2.05pm - New batsmen Blacktopp hits three boundaries off Mordt, including a couple of hoicks.

Herts 49-2 off 7 overs.

1.53pm - WICKET!  Second slip Udal catches Lamb for 11 off Mordt. Herts 30-2 from 4.5 overs.

Ball moving around. Berks bowled five wides in as many overs. Struggling to control swing.

Good toss to win.

1.45pm - Ball swinging around. Herts 18-1 afterr thrree overs.

1.39pm - WICKET!  Hewitt edges Lambert between slip and keeper. Next ball edges it again, this tiime keeper Davison hangs on. Herts 9-1. Lamb comes in.

1.33pm - After first over Herts 5-0. Lambert to bowl second over from Pavilion End.

Hewitt 1no, Ballard 2no.

1.27pm - Sun comes out as Berks fielders and Herts batsmen come out of the pavilion.

Skipper Bjorn Mordt will open bowling from Nursery End.

1.15pm - Berkshire: M Roberts, D Barnes, J McLean, B Mordt (capt), S Naylor, Carl Crowe, Craig Crowe, S Udal, S Davidson, C Peploe, T Lambert.

Hertfordshire: J Hewitt, E Ballard, N Lamb, D Blacktopp, B Frazer, A Lewis (capt), N Walker, J Southgate, W Rudge, S White, S Greeenall.

1.05pm - Captains have tossed up. Berkshire win the toss, choosing to field.

12.50pm - Berkshire officials saying start will be 1.30pm, 36 overs per side.

12.45pm - We have blue skies. The pitch is being marked out and we will get cricket at some stage in the next hour.

Players having lunch, so are the journalist. A fine selection of sandwiches to choose from - I went for Hoisin Duck wrap followed by a flapjack.

12.17pm - Covers are coming off. There are 16 people looking at the track, mostly scrratching their heads.

Watery sunlight on the ground and looks as though play will start...at some stage.

Players taking early lunch. Start at 1.15pm looks possible.

11.50am - The latest from the changing room is that there willl be a pitch inspection at 1.15pm and the teams are hopring to play a 35-overs per side match.

If the match is abandoned it will be rescheduled for Sunday, September 11 at Harpendon CC in Hertfordshire.

The mood among thhe players is that they would rather have a 20-over slog at Lord's than play a full length match at Harpendon.

11.33am - The sun is starting to poke through the clouds. But there is some cricket to watch - England v Ireland on Sky!

11.16am - The skies are looking brighter but there is no activity in the middle.

The only movement is coming from the grandstand where the restless crowd are drowning their sorrows.

11.00am - The covers remain on with no prospect of play before lunch.

10.55am - Rain has delayed the start to the MCCA KO Cup final bettween Berkshire and Hertfordshire.