BERKSHIRE’S ‘professionalism and commitment’ provided the foundation for their Minor Counties title success this week.

Berks demolished Dorset by 327 runs in just two days at Finchampstead CC to win the Western Division championship for the first time in eight years.

Now James Morris’ men will attempt to become overall national champions when they take on either Northumberland or Lincolnshire from the Eastern Division later this month.

And Berkshire director of cricket, Danny Hall, believes the changes they have made under coach Tom Lambert have been key to their recent improvement.

Hall said: “The success of the team is down to their professionalism and commitment, as they showed against Dorset where they looked in a different class.

“Most of the squad are homegrown players and, with a fantastic youth set-up, the future looks very bright for the county.”

However, Morris is determined to go one further and clinch the overall title.

“We want to go on and win the whole thing,” he said. “We have been comfortably the best team in this division and now we want to be the best team in the whole of the minor counties.”