History of Bucks CCC

David Smith remembers that the Wycombe club had a reputation for fine, true pitches, but after all the rain “the ball was never quite coming on.” There had been thoughts that the professionals might struggle, but this was before Bucks had posted such a paltry score. Yet as Booden and Edwards got to work, the target began to look more imposing. So tightly did the openers bowl that Neil Hames decided to keep them going through their full 12 overs, and when they finally rested their figures were: Booden 12 5 12 2 Edwards 12 5 14 2 Not only had Somerset fallen behind the asking rate of little more than two and a half an over, but they had also lost wickets, among them their captain, Peter Roebuck, and the New Zealand Test star Martin Crowe, who had never looked comfortable. At one stage 21 for 4, Somerset began a recovery led by Richard Bartlett first with Vic Marks then Graham Rose, but Lyon, Burrow and Black all ensured that scoring was difficult so that, when Black came to bowl the last over, ten runs were still required. Wicket-keeper Neil Burns, destined to become a Bucks player eight years later, carried Somerset’s receding hopes with number eleven Adrian Jones for company. Singles off the first two balls brought Burns back on strike. Going for glory he swung the ball to midwicket, where Smith held the catch. For Somerset it was a body blow after a winter of discontent that had seen Richards, Botham and Garner leave the club. Admitting that his team had batted too timidly, Peter Roebuck acknowledged that Bucks had bowled and batted better than his men. For the home county it was a fairy story come true as they became only the fifth county to overcome first-class opposition. Trevor Bailey nominated Steve Edwards as his Man of the Match and, reviewing an encounter where Bucks had fielded splendidly, he made special mention of the standard of the wicket-keeping. Behind the stumps for Bucks was David Goldsmith, another mature cricketer brought in from London cricket, and widely agreed to have been a keeper of the highest class. Any thoughts of further progress in the NatWest quickly evaporated at Edgbaston, where a century from Andy Moles paved the way to a Warwickshire total of 329 for 5. A dogged 57 fromHarwood was clearly in a lost cause as Bucks amassed only 128, but returning to the Championship it soon became clear that the success against Somerset had brought a new confidence to the team’s play. There were four wins, all of them closely fought, against a single loss, by three wickets against Devon at Exmouth with only two balls left. Three of the victories came in consecutive matches. Set to make 225 in 124 minutes plus 20 overs, Bucks beat Shropshire by three wickets at Slough. Then, after the first day had been washed out, Oxfordshire were defeated by six wickets in a single innings match at Aston Rowant. Finally, at Wadebridge, Steve Edwards uprooted the stumps of the Cornwall number eleven with the fourth ball of the final over as Bucks triumphed by just one run. After the Devon defeat the fourth victory came at Dorchester where the home team, requiring 186 to win, were dismissed for 99 with Lyon taking a career best of six for 12. The team benefited from having a more settled side. Hames, Burrow, Edwards and Harwood played in every match, Hayward returned to play in all but one, as did Lyon, 94 The greatest day: defeat of Somerset Steve Edwards receives the Man of the Match award from Trevor Bailey