History of Bucks CCC

nine. Some strong opponents were met, notably the Australian Academy side who were the party’s second opponents at the Adelaide Oval, where the team included future Test players Stuart Law and Greg Blewett. Back in England, notwithstanding the opportunities given to local players the previous summer, there were still rumblings about the number of players whose connections with the county were tenuous, of whom Malcolm Roberts was the most recent and conspicuous. Black, Burrow, Edwards, Goldsmith, Roberts – here were five ‘outsiders’ claiming regular places in the county team whenever they were available, and there were others like Milton still hovering in the wings. They were all fine players who gave of their best for Bucks, several involving themselves off the field, Goldsmith, for instance, years after his playing days were over coming back to manage a tour to South Africa. But Ken Drucquer, by now chairman of the committee, had had enough. “I said to Tom Orford, ‘You and I are working our guts out to bring along young players. For what reason? To play for Bucks. We’ve got lots of lads who would do very well, but they seldom get invited’” Drucquer enlisted the support of a few Young Amateurs of recent vintage and, in particular, he turned to John Swain, a member of the Chesham club and recently qualified as a barrister, who was now on the committee. Together they prepared a new clause to the rules of the County Club pertaining to selection. There was a stormy AGM at Chesham at which it was successfully proposed that any player chosen to represent the county should meet one of four criteria: to be playing regularly for a Bucks club; or to satisfy the committee that he had done so for a minimum of three consecutive years; or to have been born in the county; or to have been a bona fide resident in the county for at least 12 months. The team was allowed a single player who did not conform to these requirements, making it possible for a professional to be signed up if this were needed, whilst one further way of qualifying was initially permitted – to have been registered for the county before 1 st April 1989, the date at which the new rule came into force. So none of those already in the side was immediately at risk. Nevertheless this was a pivotal moment for Bucks cricket. From this point on there would have to be a more conscious effort to fill gaps in the team from home-grown talent. In welcome sunshine Bucks’ fortunes looked up in 1989. Though there was a first round defeat by Hertfordshire in the knockout, the team pressed for honours in the Championship with four wins and only a single loss. The counties were tightly bunched at the top of the table and, though in fourth place, Bucks were only five points Restrictions on the M25 players 96 Wolverton trio off to Australia: Chris Booden, Steve Edwards and Trevor Butler