Bucks share spoils with Berks in low-score affairs
Bucks shared the spoils with Berkshire in two low-scoring contests in their National Counties T20 double-header at Falkland CC, Newbury on Sunday, writes Michael Knox.
After losing the toss in the first match, Bucks made a disastrous start, slumping to 4-3 after just nine balls on a seamerfriendly pitch. It was only thanks to Alex Kervezee 's 34 and a mature 41 from young George Harvey that Bucks reached 119-8 from their 20 overs.
Thanks to a brilliant display from skipper Tom Hampton, Bucks won this game by 26 runs. Hampton capture 4-8 in just 17 balls and took two spectacular catches to help dismiss their hosts for 93 in 17.5 overs.
However, in the second game, after again losing the toss, the Bucks toporder batting fared even worse than in the first contest, crashing to 16-5 in just six overs against some outstanding bowling by Tommy Sturgess, who took 3-6 in four overs.
Bucks struggled to 84 all out in 19.2 overs, Kervezee top-scoring with 29. In reply, Berkshire cruised to 85-3 in 11.4 overs for a sevenwicket win.
With Bucks' first double-header against Bedfordshire at High Wycombe the previous Sunday being called off, and with the scheduled games against Hertfordshire at Beaconsfield on Bank Holiday Monday unable to take place due to a soggy outfield, the two Berkshire contests were the only ones they played in the group stage of the competition.
It is now clear that Bucks will not be progressing to the later stages of the National Counties T20 competition
Meanwhile, Bucks have included new offspinner Max Uttley in their squad of 12 for their opening National Counties Trophy match against Oxfordshire at the iconic Wormsley ground near Stokenchurch this Sunday.
Uttley, who used to play for Berkshire, has joined High Wycombe this season and will make his Bucks debut in the 50-overs contest that starts at 11am
Bucks squad - T Hampton capt, A Woodland, C Hemp, W Mead, A Kervezee, R Richardson, E Bragg, G Harvey, M Payne, C Haddow, C Parsons, M Uttley.