Lincolnshire director of cricket Mark Fell criticised their second-day performance in the three-wicket Minor Counties defeat by Cambridgeshire.

They had the upper hand after day one but a century stand for Cambs' final first-innings wicket and a poor second innings by Lincs turned the game.

Fell told BBC Lincolnshire: "They didn't win it, we gifted it to them with our performance on the second day.

"Our batsmen just didn't perform when they should have done."

Jim Morgan made 120 and captain Paul Cook 100 but Lincs slipped from 275-3 to 307 all out in their first innings, before Adam Shepherd took 6-13 at the end of day one to leave the hosts in trouble on 50-7 at the close.

We've had two batting collapses so there'll be a few playing for their places now Lincs Director of Cricket Mark Fell

The follow-on looked even more likely at 89-9 but Lewis Bruce (53no) and James Smith (39) put on a county record last-wicket stand of 101 to steer Cambs to 190, before Shepherd claimed his seventh wicket of the innings.

But only Morgan (68) and Cook (48) offered any real resistance as Lincs were dismissed for 188 in their second innings with Bruce taking 7-72 as the last five wickets fell for 12 runs.

Chasing 306 to win, Cambs captain Paul McMahon struck an unbeaten 55 to steer the hosts to victory.

Lincolnshire are now fourth in the Minor Counties Eastern Division with Cambridgeshire second.

Fell added: "If we win our last three games we can still win the league so that's a positive thing to take, but we've had two batting collapses so there'll be a few playing for their places now."

Minor Counties Eastern Division

Cambridgeshire v Lincolnshire (March):

Lincs 307 (Morgan 120, Cook 100) & 188 (Morgan 68; Bruce 7-72)

Cambs 190 (Ferraby 53, Bruce 53no; Shepherd 7-54) & 307-7 (McMahon 55no)

Cambridgeshire win by three wickets.

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