Reeve Evitts became the youngest Championship double century maker in Staffordshire’s history as the county hurtled towards victory over Cambridgeshire on the second day at Checkley.
Evitts compiled a superb 207 not out to power Staffs to 461-5 from their 90 overs in reply to Cambs’ first innings 152 all out.
The 21-year-old’s innings, which contained 20 fours and 10 sixes, saw him join an elite county club of batsmen who have reached that particular landmark.
His knock was the sixth highest individual score since the club’s formation, with only Tim Maxfield (221 v Bedfordshire in 2013), Edmund Bourne (216no v Surrey 2nd XI in 1922), Reg Halton (212 v Yorkshire 2nd XI in 1952), Roy Smith (209 v Bucks in 1948) and Alex Mellor (208no v Suffolk in 2015) sitting ahead of him in the list.
Graeme Archer (201no v Norfolk in 2003) and Paul Shaw (200no v Buckinghamshire in 2003) are the other members of the club.
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Evitts, though, takes the accolade for being Staffs’ youngest double centurion from Maxfield, who was 22 when he achieved his feat.
Staffordshire’s mammoth score, which earned them a huge first-innings lead of 309, was also the fourth highest in Championship cricket for the county.
And by the close of play, Cambridgeshire had been reduced to 173-8 second time around – still needing another 136 runs to make Staffs bat again on the final day in the Division One East clash.
Ben Claydon top-scored with 58 and Alex Pierson added 44, but Sam Keeling-Wright’s quadruple blast – taking his match haul to 12 wickets and counting – left Staffordshire on the brink of victory.
‘Session of dreams’
It proved to be a breathless day of cricket, although one tinged with a slight hint of disappointment.
Tom Moulton, whose previous Championship best was 77, fell just four runs short of what would have been a well deserved maiden three-day hundred.
But as he dragged himself off the pitch, he could console himself with the fact that, in conjunction with Evitts, they had put Staffordshire in a commanding position after a 248-run third-wicket stand.
The pair had resumed their partnership on the second morning with Staffordshire on 115-2 after a weather-hit first day.
The home side would have been targeting reaching 325 to achieving maximum batting points, but it was beyond their wildest dreams at how the morning sessions panned out.
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Evitts and Moulton, on 17 and 16 respectively overnight, batted throughout and ensured that when they walked off for lunch, Staffs were firmly in the driving seat on 301-2 after 74 of their allotted 90 overs.
Cambridgeshire struggled to find a consistent line and length throughout the morning and allowed the Staffordshire pair to score on both sides of the wicket.
Both players reached 50, while Evitts raced towards three figures before he sat down for his lunch.
Moulton was unbeaten on 87 at the interval, while Evitts had completed his second Championship ton for Staffordshire to walk in on 123.
Such was their dominance in the morning, that the shackles were well and truly off once that fourth and final batting point had been achieved.
‘So close’
It was merely a question of how many runs Staffordshire could pile on in the remaining 16 overs – and whether Moulton could compile his own ton.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be for the Leek all-rounder, though, as he departed in the formative stages of the afternoon when he was trapped lbw by seamer Jack Loveday for 96.
That left Staffs on 328-3 – and with plenty of licence to have fun in the closing stages of the innings.
Dan Lincoln and Michael Hill took heed by clearing the ropes on the way to 25 and 35 respectively.
There was no let up from Evitts, either, who surpassed the 172 he scored against Lincolnshire at Cleethorpes on his Championship debut for the county in 2024.
The Wolverhampton all-rounder upped the ante, bringing out the odd party trick along the way as Cambs’ attack wilted under the sustained attack.
It appeared as though Evitts might run out of time to join the ‘200 club’ but he plundered three sixes off Mark Rees in the final over of the innings to storm past the landmark.
Evitts required just 25 balls to move from 150 to his double century – and he walked off at the end of the innings to a huge ovation having spent five fours and 13 minutes at the crease, facing 218 deliveries.
There were also a couple of unwanted centuries from a Cambridgeshire perspective as Loveday conceded 144 runs from his 16 overs, while Rees went for 118 from 23.
And as the weary Cambridgeshire fielders wandered off in preparation for their second innings, they were faced with a huge task to avoid an innings defeat.
‘Early success’
Their attempts to stem Staffordshire’s momentum faltered as they lost two wickets before the tea break.
Ben Saunders (5) was the first to fall with the score on 10, when he was adjudged to have got an inside edge on a Keeling-Wright delivery through to keeper Lincoln.
And it was 14-2 when Liam Hurt thudded the pads of Will Routledge (3) and won an lbw verdict.
Cambridgeshire did make it through to the interval without further alarm, with the scoreboard showing 36-2.
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It didn’t take long into the evening session for Staffordshire to pick up where they left off.
And it was no surprise that it was in-form seam star Keeling-Wright who completed his 10-wicket haul for the match.
He produced a beauty to bowl Ethan Rice (16) to leave the visitors on 40-3.
Oliver Dandy was the fourth Cambs batsman to fall – and became Keeling-Wright’s third scalp of the innings – when he nibbled at a ball angled across him and presented Lincoln with a routine catch.
‘Fighting back’
Cambridgeshire were a sinking ship at this point, but captain Ben Claydon attempted to prevent his vessel from taking on more water.
He smashed a couple of sixes as he offered the type of resistance which had been absent for the majority of the time in their batting performances.
However, having made 58, he was the fifth wicket to fall when Moulton induced an edge to Lincoln as Cambs slumped to 105-5.
And just four runs had been added to the score when Henry Wilson departed as he feathered a ball from spinner Tom Brett to Lincoln.
Alex Pierson looked to follow his captain’s lead and he played impressively to make 44.
But with the score on 154, he was pinned lbw by seamer Sam Atkinson as Cambs found themselves seven down.
Ben Clilverd then fell in the final over of the day as he pulled Keeling-Wright to Evitts at leg slip.
Aum Patel is in residence on 21 not out, but Cambridgeshire are facing their first Championship defeat since August 2023 after a superb day at the office from Staffordshire.
Main image: Reeve Evitts scored 207 not out for Staffordshire on the second day against Cambridgeshire at Checkley.