HERTFORDSHIRE claimed their first Minor Counties silverware in 29 years with a crushing nine-wicket win over Dorset in today’s final at Wormsley.

Having beaten Buckinghamshire by 12 runs in their semi-final, Hertfordshire were back in the field within half an hour, but they produced another miserly bowling display followed by some punishing batting to claim their first trophy since they won the Minor Counties Championship in 1990.

Dorset managed only five boundaries - all fours - against an accurate attack and sharp fielding although a pitch that had lost some of its early pace also stifled strokeplay.

Off-spinner Ben Frazer (3-23) and slow left-armers Ravi Patel and Ben Waring took four for 41 between them and it was left to Hampshire prospect Felix Organ to hold Dorset together by batting through the innings for 48 not out, which included only one boundary.

Dorset’s total never looked likely to trouble Hertfordshire’s strong top order and the result became a formality after opener Harry Ellison pummelled a 28-ball half century which included seven fours and two sixes.

Max Waller Ellison’s opening partnership with Steve Gale when he ran out Gale but that was the Somerset leg-spinner’s only success on the day.

Waller played a key role in Somerset’s Vitality Blast victory over Glamorgan at Taunton on Saturday evening and did not arrive at Dorset’s team hotel until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Waller went wicketless in Dorset’s two matches and managed just a single from three balls in his two innings.

Dorset eased to their target with more than seven overs to spare with Essex youngster Rishi Patel striking Scott Currie for successive sixes to start the celebrations.

“It’s been a long time coming but we have built up a team for the last ten years of good young cricketers who play hard cricket so it’s about time we have some reward for that hard work,” said Hertfordshire captain Reece Hussain.

“Ninety per cent of the team are Hertfordshire lads through and through and they have been fantastic this season.

“Today’s wins have been very convincing, we didn’t just scrape through. It’s been a great season.

“In Luke Chapman and Ben Waring we have two of the best spinners on the Minor Counties circuit. They are a great bunch to captain. Win or lose we have a lot of fun.

“Iain Fletcher, our team manager, has been amazing. This is part of what he has built. It has been his philosophy, he doesn’t stand for us being soft. He likes us to play hard cricket and it’s nice to reward his hard work as well.”

In the semi-finals Dorset’s four-strong spin attack throttled Lincolnshire’s powerful batting line-up which included former county players Usman Arshad, Shiv Thakor and Azeem Rafiq.

Dorset fell away after Organ launched their innings with a fluent 40. From 66 for one they subsided to 138 all out but that still proved too many for Lincolnshire.

Kimber, Joe Kendall and skipper Carl Wilson all got starts but were dismissed forcing the pace with former Leicestershire off-spinner Jigar Naik finishing with three for 34.