JASON Harrison has stepped down as Bucks cricket captain.

Harrison injured his calf in the recent defeat to Suffolk and, after 23 years playing for his county, has decided enough is enough.

The 41 year-old Beaconsfield batter, who led Bucks to the Minor Counties Championship title in 2009, has handed over the reins to Michael Payne for the county's three remaining games this season.

Team manager Jon Coles said: "For close to two years we have been planning for Jason’s retirement as both a player and captain. His current injury has unfortunately brought forward this decision by one game.

"Michael has been captaining the one-day side and we were looking for him to take over the captaincy of the three-day side for the last two games of this season.

"He will now take over as county captain with immediate effect.

"Jason is as fully committed to Bucks cricket as ever and I am delighted that he will continue to have a key role to play within the county going forward."

Harrison, who played for Middlesex as a youngster, played 82 Championship games for Bucks, scoring nearly 4,000 runs.

He scored five Championship centuries, including one in the title play-off victory over Cheshire in 2009.

He captained the county for one season in 1998 before having a spell with Lincolnshire.

He was reappointed in 2009 and has captained Bucks ever since, leading them also to runners-up to Cornwall in 2012.

Bucks' next match is against Staffordshire at Burnham CC on Sunday, July 20.

The squad is: M Payne (capt), A Morgan, R Pritchard, S Khan, R White, C Macdonell, N Paskins, G Russell, M Rance, S Helm, T Hampton, S Stanway.