History of Bucks CCC

economically than hitherto, had much success. However, there were seven cheap wickets for Martin Jean-Jacques, when he made his debut in the final divisional match. Soon he would be lost to Derbyshire. Bucks’ opponents in the final at Worcester were old rivals Hertfordshire. For almost the first time the weather intervened, reducing a match planned for 55 overs to 35 a side. Winning the toss and choosing to bat, Bucks reached 190 for four with Hayward making 60 not out. The pace attack, Jean-Jacques, Connor and Hodgson, now reinforced by Phil Newport, kept a tight rein on the scoring. As his fifth bowler Smith turned to Milton, in preference to the season’s most successful, Lyon, who bowled not a single ball. It fell to Milton to deliver the last over with Herts, eight wickets down, still needing 15. The runs came off the first four balls and included two sixes. “Paul Slatter was incandescent,” one witness remembers. Earlier in the season there had been a bizarre start to the knockout competition when Slatter had met his opposite number from Cornwall at the Bernard Arms at Kimble, where the visiting team had planned to stay before their match on the Molins ground at nearby Monks Risborough. The match having been called off due to the weather the previous afternoon, the result was determined by the toss of a coin in the pub car park. Cornwall’s secretary called incorrectly and Bucks were into the next round and a match with Devon at Torquay. A three-wicket win brought a place in the quarter-final, where Bucks met their match, losing to Bedfordshire by 42 runs. The upturn in Bucks’ fortunes took the team back into what had now become the NatWest Trophy for 1984 and with it came the chance to play on a third Test match ground, Old Trafford. A century by Graeme Fowler ensured a Lancashire total of 272 for 7 that was always likely to be beyond Bucks, but Milton and Hayward made a spirited initial bid and Smith and Humphrey hit out well enabling Bucks to reach 199 for 8, though the victory margin was still a comfortable 73 runs. It was a less successful season in the Championship. Three victories took Bucks to second place in the Western Division, but with 36 points they were 31 behind Cheshire, who won six of their nine matches. Nevertheless another NatWest tie was assured. This entailed a trip to Taunton to meet a star-studded Somerset side with Ian Botham, Viv Richards and Joel Garner in their pomp. Put in to bat, there was a brave opening partnership of 58 between Milton and Russell, but the pace of the West Indian Garner proved too much for the lower order and Somerset ran out comfortable winners by seven wickets. The policy of looking outside the county’s boundaries for new talent was continuing. Two important newcomers in 1984 were all-rounder Steve Burrow, who had asked to join from Berkshire, and Gary Black, a swing bowler and useful batsman later to captain the county. “A one hundred per cent trier,” says David Smith of Black, whose 22 wickets at 11.45 won him the Frank Edwards Trophy in his second season. Burrow, after starting with seven for 55 in his first match against Shropshire, played on until 1996 proving himself one of the very finest all-rounders in Bucks’ history. Bowling medium pace or, especially later in his career, fast off breaks, his first captain describes him as ‘a bit like a right arm Underwood.’ With the bat Burrow was always busy at the crease with a reputation as a fast runner between the wickets. He was also a top class fielder whom David 90 Success again Steve Burrow