18 wickets fall to leave both sides fancying their chances on last day

EIGHTEEN wickets fell on a thrilling second day which ended with both Staffordshire and Buckinghamshire still firmly in the hunt to take the NCCA Championship points.

- Chris Travers

The players will take to the field at Stafford for the final chapter of an absorbing Division One East clash with Bucks resuming on 37-1 in their second innings.

They need another 188 runs to win on the last day, with Staffs requiring nine wickets in what could be a pivotal outcome to the destination of this summer's divisional title.

There were strong indications it was going to be a breathless second day early on as Tom Moulton’s career-best Staffordshire figures of 4-29 instigated Bucks’ downfall from their overnight 116-3 to 173 all out.

Staffs probably wouldn’t have envisaged having a first-innings lead of 21 after the opening day - but their second innings was wrapped up midway through the evening session.

James Kettleborough struck 54, Tom Moulton added 35, Reeve Evitts made a patient 42 not out and Sam Atkinson chipped in with 21.

But left-arm spinner Conner Haddow completed a 10-wicket match haul with 6-38 to leave Staffs all out for 203.

That left Buckinghamshire a victory target of 225 - and they lost just one wicket, that of Moiz Rana, in a testing passage of play before stumps were drawn.

The day started with Staffordshire hunting early wickets and Bucks attempting to build on the platform that they had set the previous evening.

However, it was Staffs’ morning as they swept through the visitors’ lineup as Moulton and Jacob Garlick cranked up the pressure.

Garlick, who had picked up two of the three Bucks wickets to fall on day one, set the tone when he beat George Harvey (14) for pace and rearranged his furniture.