Berkshire back to top of Western Division

Crowe was part of Berkshire's title-winning team in 2008

Berkshire are back on top of the Western Division of the Minor Counties Championship after beating Shropshire.

Chasing 408 to win, Shropshire were bowled out for 271, with Chris Peploe taking six wickets for Berkshire.

Coach Carl Crowe told BBC Berkshire it is good to be back in control with one round of matches remaining.

He said: "We're certainly looking for a win at Cornwall, but the advantage is that if the games are rained off or if they're drawn, we win the division."

Crowe added that there is no temptation to play for a draw.

"We've played our cricket all year to try to win and we'll continue to do that," he said.

There were no centurions for Berkshire in the match. Michael Roberts made 93 and Crowe an unbeaten 84 in their first innings of 320 and Jono McLean and captain Bjorn Mordt both passed 50 in the second innings of 242-6 declared.

But Crowe said it was Peploe's bowling that won them the game.

"The wicket was quite flat all the way through and there were times when we wondered how we were going to take a wicket.

"He bowled beautifully - throwing high outside the off-stump to get them driving.

"Batters put you in a position where you can win a game, but it's the bowlers who actually win the games and that's exactly what he did."

Berkshire's final match in the Western Division is against Cornwall in Truro, starting on Sunday 15 August.

Crowe said he knows it will be a difficult encounter.

"There are one or two guys I know who play for Cornwall and they're good players," he said. "There's good pedigree there in terms of ex-professional cricketers.

"But when you're playing Minor Counties cricket, every game's a tough game - there are a lot of good players around and it's getting tougher.

"We'll go there, play hard cricket, expect to win, work hard to win and keep our fingers crossed."