Hertfordshire County Cricket were beaten despite two of their batsmen setting a new Minor Counties record.

Eddie Ballard and Tanweer Sikander hit an unbroken partnership of 431 on the first day of Herts’ three-day Unicorns Championship match, against Buckinghamshire, to break the record for the highest-ever partnership in Minor Counties history.

But a sublime final-day knock of 244 not out for Bucks’ Thomas Smith got the opposition over the line after Herts had declared in their second innings.

Bishop’s Stortford captain Ballard and Stevenage all-rounder Sikander go down in the record books as they made 248 and 209 not out respectively. The massive partnership in the first 90-over innings broke the record previously held in Minor Counties cricket from 1949 (388).

Bucks had recorded 290 all out in reply to the visitors’ 487 for two, before Herts declared on 292 for seven in their second innings, with Langleybury’s Richard Soulsbury hitting 12 runs.

A major part of the deficit was made up by Smith, who hit a total of 39 boundaries on his way to 244 not out from 261 balls.

Shaan Khan also scored 147 before captain Michael Payne (65 not out) joined Smith to steer his side close to the winning line.

Dan Hampton rounded off the match with Smith by securing 11 runs to give Bucks the victory.

After being informed of the record, Ballard said: “It was an incredible day. Even at tea when we were both on 100-odd, we didn’t really think anything of it.

“It was only later when someone said they wondered if there had ever been an innings of two people getting double hundreds that we thought about it.

“I had got to 200 and so I tried to give Tanny the strike until he got there and then we just went for it after that.”