Berkshire Men’s 1st XI v Wiltshire – NCCA Trophy Preview
Berkshire continue their NCCA Trophy campaign this Sunday with a trip to Warminster CC to take on Wiltshire in what promises to be another competitive early-season encounter.
After encouraging performances in recent weeks, Berkshire will be looking to build further momentum as the group stage begins to take shape. The squad again shows a strong degree of continuity, with Andy Rishton retaining the core group that has started the season positively.
Berkshire Squad:
Connell
Lewis
Isbell
Dunnett
Woods
Salter
MacEwen (wk)
Rishton (C)
Greatwood
Daniel
Bhandari
Lamsdale
There is a balanced feel to the Berkshire squad heading into Sunday’s fixture, with depth across both batting and bowling departments giving the side flexibility in how they approach conditions at Warminster.
The top order will once again be crucial. Connell, Lewis, Isbell and Dunnett have all shown encouraging signs so far this season, and Berkshire will be hoping one of that group can produce the substantial innings needed to anchor the batting effort. In 50-over cricket, building partnerships through the opening phases remains central to Berkshire’s approach, particularly away from home.
Captain Andy Rishton continues to provide leadership and stability through the middle order, supported by Woods and Salter, both of whom offer adaptability depending on the state of the innings. Whether rebuilding after early wickets or accelerating through the middle overs, that flexibility has become an important feature of Berkshire’s batting structure.
MacEwen retains the gloves and adds further depth with the bat, while Berkshire’s lower order has increasingly shown the ability to contribute valuable runs rather than simply supporting roles.
With the ball, Greatwood, Daniel, Bhandari and Lamsdale provide Rishton with a varied attack capable of rotating responsibilities throughout the innings. Control through the middle overs and the ability to take wickets at key moments are likely to be especially important against a Wiltshire side that traditionally competes strongly in home conditions.
Fielding discipline and maintaining pressure between wickets will also be key areas of focus. In matches of this format, Berkshire have often looked strongest when sustaining pressure across long periods rather than relying on isolated moments.
From a Berkshire perspective, the objectives remain consistent: establish strong foundations with the bat, avoid losing clusters of wickets, and maintain disciplined bowling partnerships throughout the 50 overs.
Warminster CC has historically provided a competitive setting for NCCA cricket, and Berkshire will be aiming to deliver another composed all-round performance as they look to strengthen their position in the Trophy campaign.