Staffordshire will have to display their powers of recovery after a disappointing first day in their NCCA Championship game against Buckinghamshire.
A below-par batting performance saw Staffs bowled out for 194 at Stafford, before Bucks drew stumps on 116-3 to seize the initiative.
Several Staffordshire batsmen will look back on their dismissals wistfully in a match which could have a significant impact on the Division One East title race.
Staffs kicked off the day leading the way – a point clear of Cambridgeshire who are not in action in this round – and five ahead of rivals Buckinghamshire.
A win for either side would put them in pole position heading into the final chapter of the divisional fixtures, which see Staffordshire travel to Cambs and Buckinghamshire host Lincolnshire.
And it was Bucks who left the Riverway venue at the end of the first day the happier of the two sides.
Jack Redman top-scored with 45 for Staffs, while Tom Moulton (41), Michael Hill (29) and captain James Kettleborough (25) were the others to make starts.
A combination of seam and spin proved to be a winning formula for Bucks, with pacemen Ed Bragg and Ryan Friend bagging a couple of wickets apiece, before tweakers Connor Haddow and Max Uttley mopped up the middle order and tail.
Billy Dodds then anchored Buckinghamshire’s reply with an unbeaten 54 to leave them in a promising position heading into day two.
‘Early promise’
Staffs would have been happy enough with their start to the day after visiting skipper Alexei Kervezee called correctly.
Openers Kettleborough and Matt Morris put on 31 inside 11 overs, before the latter was dismissed.
Morris wafted at a delivery from Bragg, from around the wicket, which bounced a touch more than expected and he nick through to keeper George Harvey.
And Bucks’ decision to bowl first looked to be paying off as two quick wickets reduced Staffordshire to 54-3.
Kettleborough edged Friend to Harvey, before Reeve Evitts slashed Bragg to Haddow in the gully to depart for five.
It was a case of battening down the hatches for Staffs at that point in the lead up to lunch.
Positive option was always in our thinking, says James Kettleborough
Moulton was particularly watchful, while the experienced Hill was also keen not to give Buckinghamshire any freebies heading towards the interval.
It was a successful mission for the Staffs pair as they managed to navigate their side to 84-3 from 32 overs.
The duo continued their alliance in the formative stages of the afternoon, but Hill fell with the score on 107.
He looked to pounce on a delivery from Friend, but only succeeded in finding Bragg on the leg side.
Redman joined Moulton and kept the scoreboard ticking over with a stand of 47.
‘Spin is king’
And at 154-4, Staffordshire would have been reasonably content with how they had managed to cope with a disciplined Bucks attack.
But from that point on, the innings somewhat fell away as Buckinghamshire managed to knock on the door and then kick it down.
Moulton, attempting to slightly up the ante, advanced down the pitch to spinner Haddow – the 137th ball he faced – but could only provide Bragg with a catch at mid-off.
Just two more runs had been added when Callum Hawkins, fresh from his maiden NCCA ton in last week’s draw at Suffolk, was adjudged lbw to Haddow for a duck.
Staffordshire progressed the score to 180, but then lost their last four wickets for just 14 runs either side of tea.
Redman, looking to sweep, was lbw to Uttley, while Hurt departed in the same fashion to Haddow (4-21).
Tom Brett and Jacob Garlick were then accounted for by Haddow and Uttley respectively to bring the curtain down on the home side’s innings.
‘Solid start’
Early wickets were the order of the day for Staffs with ball in hand, but in the early stages they failed to exert enough sustained pressure on Dodds and Moiz Rana.
The Bucks pair put on 49 for the first wicket – and it took a bowling change from Kettleborough to break through.
Seamer Garlick was introduced and struck with just his second ball when he produced a lovely inducker to bowl Rana for 27.
It was 63-2 when the Garlick doubled up in the wicket stakes by accounting for Friend, who edged to Kettleborough at first slip.
Dodds and Kervezee added 40 and were in touching distance of taking Buckinghamshire through to the close just two wickets down.
However, left-arm spinner Tom Brett picked up the key scalp of Kervezee, who dragged on, for 12.
Staffordshire would have dearly loved to have made it four before time was called, but Harvey (8no) joined Dodds to extinguish those hopes.
‘Still clinging on’
Staffs have been in a position where they were behind the eight-ball after day one – notably against Lincs at Checkley this season.
They managed to turn the tables in that one to win, but will need something similar to hang on to Buckinghamshire’s coat-tails in this encounter.
Day Three report: Callum Hawkins hits maiden Staffs century in Suffolk draw
It’s only one day down, but Staffordshire will be hoping things improve in the remaining two days of action.
They showed enough signs in the closing stages to indicate they can drag matters back, but Buckinghamshire will also be confident that by the close of play on day two, they could be the ones sitting pretty.
Main image: Jack Redman top-scored with 45 for Staffordshire on day one against Buckinghamshire at Stafford. Picture: Pete Stonier