Skipper Tom Hampton led the way as Bucks bowlers produced a superb display to beat Hertfordshire by ten wickets in just two days at Tring Park . This remarkable victory puts Bucks right in the promotion race in Eastern Division 2 of the National Counties Championship.

Hampton took seven wickets – including his fifth five-wicket haul for the county – but he was brilliantly supported by Cameron Parsons, AJ Woodland and Jack Rodnight as the Bucks seam attack gave the visitors batsmen no respite by bowling straight and a full length on a slow pitch.

For much of the match it was an even affair. Herts, put into bat on a rain-interrupted first day, struggled to 184 all out from 83.5 overs, Hampton taking 5-53, and parsimonious Parsons taking 2-23 from 22 overs, during which he conceded just one boundary.

A sparkling 53 from 52 balls by by Alexei Kervezee (see pic) seemed to put Bucks in charge at 114-2 in reply, but then they lost seven wickets for 44 runs and looked like conceding a first-innings deficit. But a last-wicket stand of 51 between Ross Richardson (41 no) – with his second mature innings in as many games – and Hampton gave Bucks a valuable 23-run lead.

The game took a dramatic turn in the final session, when Herts astonishingly were shot out for 75 in 33.5 overs, Parsons leading they way with 3-11 from ten overs – 5-34 in 32 overs in the match. The remarkable statistic from the match is that 11 Herts batsmen were out bowled, six were caught by wicket-keeper Adam King and three were lbw. Not a single outfield catch was taken by Bucks. Is this a record?
With just 53 needed for victory on the second evening Bucks, thanks to Eliot Callis, knocked off the runs in just 6.3 overs, making the available extra half-hour unnecessary.

If Bucks win their final two matches against Cumbria – at Barrow in two weeks time – and Northumberland they will win promotion to Division 1 next season.

Scorecard HERE.

Current league table can be viewed HERE