BERKSHIRE 411-8 dec & 201-6 dec beat DORSET 214 & 197 by 201 runs

FORMER Dorset captain Tom Hicks has announced his retirement from Minor Counties Cricket.

The all-rounder took 256 Championship wickets and scored 2245 Championship runs in an 18-year spell with the Dean Park outfit.

He scored 15 in his final innings earlier today as Dorset suffered a convincing 201-run defeat against Berkshire to end their summer.

Speaking to Echosport last week, current skipper Chris Park revealed that Hicks had been weighing up retirement from the Minor Counties arena all season.

Hicks' final moments in the squad came as the hosts were bowled out for 197 in their second innings on day three in Bournemouth, having been set a daunting 399 for victory.

Berkshire’s duo of Tom Nugent (4-75) and Chris Peploe (4-59) shared eight wickets between them in the final innings.

Peploe’s haul meant he took 12 wickets in the game at a cost of just 120 runs.

The only two batsmen to pass 20 for the Dean Park outfit second time round were opener Curtis Blakemore (53) and Luke Webb, who top scored with 64.

Bashley seamer Jake Lilley was the last man to be dismissed when he was bowled by Nugent for six, leaving Mark Wolstenholme stranded on 16.

Earlier in the game, Andy Rishton and Richard Morris both recorded centuries to help put the visitors in the box seat.

And to add to the defeat, Dorset were also penalised two points for a slow over-rate during the clash, in what could be their final outing at Dean Park.