NCCA Cluberly Championship Final - Reaction

Buckinghamshire captain Alexei Kervezee hopes that Conner Haddow’s record-breaking performance in the NCCA Cluberly Championship final will help him secure a contract with a first-class county.

Haddow took nine for 73 in the second innings of the 19 runs victory over Devon at West Bromwich Dartmouth and 16 for 143 in the match, both of them records for the Championship final. The slow left-armer’s match haul nudged the great SF Barnes of Staffordshireand England out of the record books, a major achievement in itself.

Haddow has now taken 102 wickets in 13 Championship matches in just three seasons and although the pitch at West Bromwich undoubtedly helped him, that has not been the case in all of the matches he has played in during that period.

Kervezee, who has top level experience from his time with Worcestershire and the Netherlands, has watched Haddow develop and is surprised that the 25-year-old’s talent has not brought him more than occasional appearances for Northamptonshire’s second team.

“Full credit to Conner to get 16 wickets in a final. I hope that people are taking notice of what he is doing and has done for a period of time,” Kervezee said.

“I think he has gone to whole new level this year to be fair to him. I genuinely hope that counties around the country are taking note.

“He’s been trialling with Northants and it hasn’t quite worked out for one reason or another. But I hope that with this performance, what he has done with Northants and what he has done for us for a period of time that people will have taken notice.”

Although Haddow, who also been a prolific wicket-taker for the Challengers representative side, dominated the final to help Buckinghamshire win the Championship for the second time in three years, their success was very much a collective effort by a young side which included five players who made their Championship debuts this season.

“I am very grateful and happy to have won the trophy,” Kervezee said.

“Full credit to the lads, they have all contributed and put performances on the board which have helped us to win the trophy.

“It’s a young side, we have won a trophy with a young side and we a lot more good young lads coming through as well.

“We will probably have a target on our backs next season but it’s a target you like to have. I am over the moon and hopefully we can go again next year.”

Devon played a full part in a low-scoring but compelling contest and pushed Buckinghamshire much harder than they did in the 2023 final when they went down by a record 550 runs.

For Performance Director Tim Western the final plus the Western Division title were bonuses at the end of season which started with the aim of avoiding relegation.

 “It was a great final and it was a good learning experience for us. It was bonus territory to be here with such a young side and they have learnt a massive amount,” Western said.

“We have come away as Western Division champions which at the start of the season was possibly a long way off.

“The guys are hurting but they are desperate to come back and go one better as soon as we can.

“We had five players who have made their debuts this season in the final and there are others who have played for the county for the first time. We have had a really good season and the guys have learnt a lot.

“The final has been a fantastic experience. It was great to be away with the guys for three days. They are learning as a group, they get on really well together, they stick as one and they are all very level-headed which is great as a support team.

“They are learning and they are hungry to learn and get better. We have got some good plans ahead for the winter to get them together – apart from the ones who are going overseas to warmer climes – to work with them so that they come back as better players in all aspects.”

📸 Roger Byrne