Bucks' hopes of retaining the National Counties Championship title were ended when they lost by 67 runs to Staffordshire in their final Eastern Division match at High Wycombe on Tuesday.

Needing 246 runs to win and top the division, Bucks were bowled out for 178 in 33 overs. So it is Staffs who will face Western Division 1 winners Berkshire in next month's title-decider.

Choosing to bat first on a pitch conducive to spin, Staffordshire scored 275-8 dec off 87.4 overs in their first innings largely due to a third-wicket stand of 101 between Reeve Evitts (93) and Callum Hawkins (65*). For Bucks, left-arm spinner Conner Haddow, playing on his home ground, took 5-92 from 32.4 overs 

Bucks slipped to 133-7 in reply against the left-arm spin of former Northants bowler Tom Brett. But they were rescued by Cam Parsons (pictured left), with 61 from 78 balls, and Haddow (34), who put on 81 for the eighth wicket to help them reach 259 from 74.3 overs, a first-innings deficit of 16. Opener AJ Woodland, who had to retire after being hit on the finger, returned at the end to finish 55 not out. Brett finished with 7-112 from 37 overs.

Bucks gave themselves a chance of victory when dismissing the visitors for 229 in their second innings, Haddow taking advantage of spinning pitch to take 4-57, for match figures of 9-149.

Set 246 for victory, Bucks made a disastrous start, crashing to 6-3. Ross Richardson (47) and Danny Chapman (40) batted enterprisingly Bucks but no big scores emerged as the batsmen went for their shots and Bucks were dismissed for 178. Brett took 5-74 to finish with match figures of 12-186.

Bucks finished third in the table behind Suffolk, while Bedfordshire are relegated to be replaced by Eastern Division 2 champions Cambridgeshire.

NATIONAL COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP 

Eastern Division 1 final table

Scorecard