Staffs off the pace as rivals Bucks net first-day honours

STAFFORDSHIRE will have to display their powers of recovery after a disappointing first day in their NCCA Championship game against Buckinghamshire.

- Chris Travers

A below-par batting performance saw Staffs bowled out for 194 at Stafford, before Bucks drew stumps on 116-3 to seize the initiative.

Several Staffordshire batsmen will look back on their dismissals wistfully in a match which could have a significant impact on the Division One East title race.

Staffs kicked off the day leading the way - a point clear of Cambridgeshire who are not in action in this round - and five ahead of rivals Buckinghamshire.

A win for either side would put them in pole position heading into the final chapter of the divisional fixtures, which see Staffordshire travel to Cambs and Buckinghamshire host Lincolnshire.

And it was Bucks who left the Riverway venue at the end of the first day the happier of the two sides.

Jack Redman top-scored with 45 for Staffs, while Tom Moulton (41), Michael Hill (29) and captain James Kettleborough (25) were the others to make starts.

A combination of seam and spin proved to be a winning formula for Bucks, with pacemen Ed Bragg and Ryan Friend bagging a couple of wickets apiece, before tweakers Connor Haddow and Max Uttley mopped up the middle order and tail.

Billy Dodds then anchored Buckinghamshire’s reply with an unbeaten 54 to leave them in a promising position heading into day two.

Staffs would have been happy enough with their start to the day after visiting skipper Alexei Kervezee called correctly.

Opener Kettleborough and Matt Morris put on 31 inside 11 overs, before the latter was dismissed.