DORSET batsman Ed Nichols “wouldn’t have changed” his first taste of Minor Counties cricket despite facing a testing three days of play.

 

Nichols was dismissed for nine and seven but was undeterred by his performance with the bat, instead choosing to focus on the learning curve he experienced during the match.

 

He said: “I’m really pleased and wouldn’t have changed it, certainly to have the experience was fantastic. It was a really good three days.

 

“To be honest from a batting point of view in the first innings I was undone by a really good piece of bowling.

 

“I had a good chat with Paul (Pritchard) on the third morning. He was quite positive about some of the things I managed to rectify from the winter.”

 

Martinstown captain Nichols was also impressed by the difference in standard in both batting and bowling.

 

“The biggest thing is the cleanness of the striking, every bad ball is punished so hard. Those guys are serious cricketers, if you make an error when batting, you’re gone.

 

“In truth they were very clever with what they did. (Tahir) Afridi completely did me with a big outswinger and then a big inswinger.

 

“They have got a lot more nous than just running in and hitting the deck hard. I don’t think they bowled more than two or three bouncers across the three days, they were quite canny,” he said.