Eighteen wickets fell on a thrilling second day which ended with both Staffordshire and Buckinghamshire still firmly in the hunt to take the NCCA Championship points.
The players will take to the field at Stafford for the final chapter of an absorbing Division One East clash with Bucks resuming on 37-1 in their second innings.
They need another 188 runs to win on the last day, with Staffs requiring nine wickets in what could be a pivotal outcome to the destination of this summer’s divisional title.
There were strong indications it was going to be a breathless second day early on as Tom Moulton’s career-best Staffordshire figures of 4-29 instigated Bucks’ downfall from their overnight 116-3 to 173 all out.
Staffs probably wouldn’t have envisaged having a first-innings lead of 21 after the opening day – but their second innings was wrapped up midway through the evening session.
James Kettleborough struck 54, Moulton added 35, Reeve Evitts made a patient 42 not out and Sam Atkinson chipped in with 21.
But left-arm spinner Conner Haddow completed a 10-wicket match haul with 6-38 to leave Staffs all out for 203.
That left Buckinghamshire a victory target of 225 – and they lost just one wicket, that of Moiz Rana, in a testing passage of play before stumps were drawn.
The day started with Staffordshire hunting early wickets and Bucks attempting to build on the platform that they had set the previous evening.
‘Moulton magic’
However, it was Staffs’ morning as they swept through the visitors’ line-up as Moulton and Jacob Garlick cranked up the pressure.
Garlick, who had picked up two of the three Bucks wickets to fall on day one, set the tone when he beat George Harvey (14) for pace and rearranged his furniture.
That was the opening Staffordshire needed – leaving Bucks 127-4 – and then it became the Moulton show for the next hour.
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The medium-pacer picked up two wickets in successive deliveries with just four more runs added to the score.
Opener Billy Dodds, having made 55, chopped on to his stumps, before Teddy Fleming was pinned lbw from the next delivery.
The tables had turned in the space of 25 minutes’ play, but Staffs weren’t about to let up in their mission to wrap up the Buckinghamshire innings.
Moulton was on a roll and he picked up another two scalps in three balls in the 44th over.
Cameron Parsons overbalanced trying to flick a leg-side delivery and he was expertly stumped by Callum Hawkins, while Haddow was another lbw victim for Moulton.
Ed Bragg (27no) was still in residence, though, and he managed to stop the rot for a period of time alongside Archie Dodds.
However, the latter fell to spinner Tom Brett when he tried to slog a full toss, but could only send it up into the air for man-of-the-moment Moulton to take the catch.
Number 11 Max Uttley contributed a useful 12 to the Bucks score, but he nicked a Liam Hurt delivery to Sam Atkinson in the slips to end the away side’s first foray to the middle.
‘Early setback’
Such was the pace of the morning session, Staffordshire still had time to start their second innings before the scheduled lunch break.
Captain Kettleborough hit three fours in the first over, but Staffs lost his partner Matt Morris to the third ball of the second when Parsons trapped him lbw.
Players and spectators alike were then allowed to draw breath for 40 minutes to process what they had just witnessed at the Riverway venue.
Calm looked to have been restored in the early stages of the afternoon as Kettleborough and Moulton put together a decisive 86-run partnership.
Kettleborough, who hit eight boundaries, compiled a run-a-ball half-century, but was soon on his way back to the pavilion having added four more.
He received a beauty from Parsons, which he could only feather through to keeper Harvey to bring an end to his impressive knock.
And Bucks had their tails up in the next over when Moulton skipped down the track to Haddow, but was deceived by the flight and turn and Harvey whipped off the bails.
‘Bucks fight back’
And from that position of strength on 98-1, Staffs eventually ended up taking tea on 126-5.
Michael Hill edged a Haddow delivery to Fleming at short leg to fall for one, before Jack Redman (5) was involved in a miscommunication with Evitts and run out.
In the evening, Hawkins made his way to 11 before being given out lbw to Haddow as Bucks looked to keep their fourth-innings chase within range.
Day One report: Staffordshire targeting fight back after Bucks take early honours.
Evitts was playing sensibly and he put on a crucial 36 runs for the seventh wicket with Atkinson.
The duo guided Staffs to 168 before Haddow produced a fine delivery which Atkinson edged to Alexei Kervezee at second slip.
Hurt weighed in with 12, but fell lbw to Haddow, while Brett and Garlick failed to trouble the scorers.
Haddow and Uttley accounted for them, aided by sharp close catches either side of the wicket by Fleming.
‘Fast pace’
And with an hour of play left in the day it was now Bucks’ turn to return to the crease to start their push for victory.
That left time for another wicket to fall as Staffordshire made an early breakthrough.
Rana, having reached 12, was trapped lbw by Atkinson to leave the visitors on 16-1.
Billy Dodds was joined by Archie Dodds in the middle for the remaining overs of the day.
And they managed to survive until stumps, which may well yet prove to be crucial in the grand scheme of things.
The game is on a knife edge. It promises to be an entertaining final day.
Main image: Tom Moulton took four wickets and made 35 for Staffordshire on day two against Buckinghamshire at Stafford. Picture: David Peters