Staffordshire took just 15 minutes on the third and final day at Checkley to wrap up a crushing victory over Cambridgeshire in their NCCA Championship encounter.
Staffs required two Cambs wickets when the players reconvened at Four Trees – and they picked up both in the space of 19 deliveries.
That left Cambridgeshire all out for 198 – and on the receiving end of an innings and 111-run loss.
It was the first time they had lost a Championship match since August 2023.
For Staffordshire, it was the ideal way for them to bounce back from their disappointing defeat at Buckinghamshire in the Division One East opener.
Cambridgeshire resumed on 173-8 – and it was only a matter of time before Staffordshire picked up their first three-day win of the summer.
Cambs opted to have a bit of swing from the get-go, but man-of-the-moment Sam Keeling-Wright soon put Staffordshire one away from victory.
He forced Adam Patel to play on to his stumps to depart for 27 – and in the process completed a second five-wicket haul of the match for the Staffs paceman.
Day Two report: Reeve Evitts creates history as Staffs close in on victory
Allied to his first-innings 8-60, Keeling-Wright finished with match figures of 13-101.
It was then left to Sam Atkinson, pictured, to settle the issue when Jack Loveday attempted a huge swipe, but saw his furniture rearranged.
So the crowd who had assembled at Checkley were packing their chairs away at little over 10.45am on the third morning.
‘Great response’
The performance was much-needed by Staffordshire after they slumped to that 187-run defeat at Chesham a fortnight earlier.
Keeling-Wright took the plaudits with the ball for his magnificent spells across both innings – taking him to 17 Championship scalps in the first two rounds of matches.
And Reeve Evitts was another shining light for the home side.
The 21-year-old Wolverhampton all-rounder became the youngest player to score a double century for Staffordshire in a Championship match with his unbeaten 207 not out on day two.
Day One report: Sam Keeling-Wright takes eight wickets to put Staffs on top
That helped Staffordshire to pile up an eye-watering 461-5 from their 90 overs – the fourth highest team total in the county’s history – and a first-innings lead of 309.
Evitts was the eighth Staffs player to join the ‘200 club’ and his score was the sixth highest individual total for the county.
He took the youngest player accolade, though, with previous holder Tim Maxfield being 22 when he scored a county high 221 not out against Bedfordshire in 2013.
That huge first-innings deficit meant that Cambridgeshire needed something special to avoid a heavy defeat.
That didn’t materialise, however, with Staffordshire wrapping up the maximum 24 points in double-quick time on the third and final morning.
‘Champions beaten’
In the division’s other game, Northumberland beat defending champions Buckinghamshire by eight wickets in their meeting at Benwell Hill.
Northumberland were set 221 for victory and eased to their target in the north east to bank their first win since being promoted to the top division of the Championship.
It was also the ideal way for them to bounce back from their first-round defeat at Suffolk.
The win also moved them to the top of the table on 29 points.
Staffs are second on 28, with Buckinghamshire third on 27.
Suffolk have 24 points, but have only played once, as have Cambridgeshire, who picked up just two points from their heavy loss at Checkley.
Main image: Sam Atkinson took a wicket on the final morning as Staffs cruised to victory over Cambridgeshire at Checkley. Picture: Roger Byrne