History of Bucks CCC

county survived with their last pair at the crease. Parry and Harris were the season’s top wicket takers. Bucks had chosen to play 12 matches this year, restoring Bedfordshire to the list of opponents. The weather again had a big say, restricting the county to four wins against a solitary loss. This came at Lakenham, where Turner had impressed all who saw it with a masterful 99 against exceptionally hostile Norfolk bowling. There was a dramatic win at Amersham in the penultimate match, a game that exemplified the best of Slack’s captaincy. Determined to keep his opponents interested in the prospect of victory, he had brought Parry into the attack to ensure that more overs were bowled. His gamble paid off, Parry took vital wickets and Atkins, making one of only three appearances this year, threw down the stumps with four minutes left to give Bucks victory by 11 runs. This set up an exciting end to the season when Norfolk came to Beaconsfield. The visitors needed a win to challenge for the title, while victory for Bucks would mean qualification for the Gillette Cup. Rain restricted the game to a one-innings contest, in which Bucks owed their 40-run success to Chris Pickett, who took five for 45 on one of his rare appearances after years of absence. The Gillette Cup draw for 1969 took Bucks back to Lord’s. After a watery Saturday the teams re- assembled on Monday, and Bucks’ bowlers did well to restrict a Middlesex side with eight past or future inter- nationals to 87 from their first 40 overs, but, as the bowlers struggled with a wet ball, the batsmen eventually broke loose to finish on 232. As on their previous visit, the Bucks innings soon subsided as Middlesex ran out winners by 128 runs. The team quickly put this disappointment behind them as they embarked on their championship programme. They began with comfortable wins against Oxfordshire and Bedfordshire. Rain spoilt the next match with Hertfordshire, but there was a fine victory against Norfolk at Lakenhamwith half an hour to spare, HighWycombe’s Roy Huntley, who played the season primarily as an opening batsman, taking seven for 32 in the second innings. A six-wicket loss to Suffolk after Slack had declared twice was followed by a victory by the same margin against Berkshire. Rain on the second day ended hopes of a positive result in the return match with Oxfordshire at High Wycombe, after which Bucks moved on to Slough where, in the season’s closest encounter, they just got the better of Berkshire by two wickets. This was a low-scoring match played on a spiteful pitch. Turner grafted well in both innings, but after his dismissal Bucks, needing only 81 for victory, were soon in deep trouble at 60 for 8. With the home club’s Barry Sidaway keeping an end up without scoring, Chris Parry took control to see Bucks home. There were 20 minutes to spare when Suffolk were beaten by 57 runs at Ernest Turner’s, but victory over Hertfordshire at Chesham came in the last over, thanks to a splendid 105 not out from John Turner, his first century for the county. 74 The Slack years: another Championship David Janes, Fred Harris and John Slack watching the rain