BERKSHIRE made it three wins out of three in the Minor Counties Championship this season with a comprehensive 148-run win over Cheshire at Finchampstead.

The defending Western Division champions were dismissed for scores of 275 and 229 – low totals by their own high standards – but produced two outstanding bowling performances, shooting out the visitors for just 89 in the first innings and then for 267 in their second.

As a contest, the result never looked in any doubt after they had reduced Cheshire to 38-5 on Sunday evening.

On the first two days, the wicket was taking spin with David Wainwright claiming 6-94 for Cheshire and Euan Woods 4-14 for the hosts.

Former Yorkshire player Wainwright's victims included Archie Carter, the Wokingham opener, who top-scored with 84 off 199 balls.

Next highest was Finchampstead skipper Dan Lincoln with 36 from 30 balls.

The Finchampstead wicket usually favours the batsmen, but it didn't appear to on this occasion, especially those from Cheshire. Ben Gibbon was their top scorer with 17, but an even higher contribution came from the extras column which totalled 20.

Berkshire didn't enforce the follow on despite their advantage of 186 runs, instead preferring to build up an even bigger lead to take the game away from the visitors.

Lincoln led the run charge with 81 off 68 balls, blasting five 4s and six 6s, while Carter contributed 30 and Tom Nugent 27, while Michael Williams remained unbeaten on 23.

Berkshire were all out for 225 to leave Cheshire with an impossible target of 416 to win.

The visitors fought hard with Robert Sehmi making 76 off 158 balls and Wainwright 59 not out off 111 balls.

He and the debut-making Michael Finan (22) added 67 for the last wicket, defying Berkshire for around an hour.

Paceman Nugent was the pick of the bowlers, taking 5-41 off 16 overs, which included dismissing Sehmi and Simon Normanton with successive deliveries in the last over before lunch.

Nugent was captaining the side after James Morris had cracked a bone in his right hand during net practice. It led to James switching roles with the named 12th man, Henley bowler Harry Jordan.