DORSET slumped out of the MCCA Trophy with a whimper as a century partnership between Rob White and Michael Payne helped Buckinghamshire ease to victory.

In the end, the result was academic with second-placed Berkshire winning their final group match against Wales, but Alan Willows' men were always second best at Tring Park after a defiant display at the crease from Buckinghamshire's deadly duo.

Chasing 270 for five, the visitors were laboured in their efforts and never found the momentum to seriously challenge the hosts' target.

The visitors won the toss and decided to field and, despite early encouragement coming from the wickets of Fahim Qureshri (16) and Hamza Taj (4), could not get the better of opener White (96) who maintained the Bucks' hopes after a testing start.

Payne (90) then linked up with his team-mate, providing the predatory instinct to take control of the match before White, who found the boundary 16 times in total, saw his bails scattered by Tom Hicks (3-46), the only Dorset bowler to draw blood.

And from the moment Jake Lintott (15) was caught out by Faisal Ali (2-31), Dorset never looked likely to threaten the hosts' total with Nick Park (16) soon following.

Aaron Williams (17) and Masoor Khan (28) put up a defiant 42 before White caught Williams from Doug King's (3-41) delivery, and the wickets of Khan, Charlie Esson (12), Hicks (1) and Michael Porter (6) quickly followed for just 13 runs and less than seven overs as Shaftab Khalid (2-12) helped King to steamroller Dorset's diminishing attack.

With the wickets whittling away, Mark Wolstenholme (16) and Matt Drakeley (30) tried to stem to the tide, but it was to no avail as the Bucks ended Dorset's resistance with 95 runs and eight overs to spare.

FOR coach Alan Willows' post-match reaction and thoughts ahead of the Dorset's MCCA Western Championship season, see Tuesday's Daily Echo.