Most importantly however Walkovers A produced a last-gasp 2 wicket win against one of the challengers for the title, Farmers, and in dramatic fashion.

It all started so serenely at the Fort, Walkovers pegging Farmers back with some good tight bowling but without wickets and after 4 overs both sides would have been fairly satisfied with 33-0. Bouchard bowled a testing spell of 2 overs and English bowled through in his first 3 overs spell of the season. English was excellent and his figures of 3-0-20-0 didn’t tell the whole story though it was certainly tight nonetheless.

The middle period of the innings, the run-rate picked up for Farmers (no coincidence that Patterson also bowled in this period) and the match became more exciting for the neutral.

A run out, 3 more run out attempts that should have been taken by 3 different people, a few boundaries and a wicket for Naylor meant that Farmers were on 93-2 from 10 overs and well poised to go ‘big’ in the last two.

Bouchard and Naylor bowled an excellent last over of their spells to restrict Farmers to just 16-1 (from 2) leaving their total 109-3. This was a great end to the innings for Walkovers and perhaps the turning point in the match.
Bouchard 3-0-20-1
English 3-0-20-0
Patterson 3-0-35-0
Naylor 3-0-22-1
And so to the batting, Bouchard opened up with Patterson in the first change in 5 games at the top of the order following some decent scores and to ‘freshen things up’. Unfortunately this was a game Patterson would want to forget as he was dismissed to a second-ball duck – lbw to Morgan. The Walkovers innings didn’t have the best of starts as a result and were 9-1 after 2 overs.

English was now at the crease and was scoring freely from the off and Bouchard complemented him by increasing his own strike rate. Both batsmen were in good form, and both retired which is so important in this league – meaning they can return later – for fireworks perhaps!?

Naylor was back to his fluent best in his new no. 4 position, whilst Roche – also in an unfamiliar position was brilliant in keeping the scoreboard ticking over. They key over was the 10th where the duo took 14 from Van Vurren’s final over and meant we needed 16 from 2 to win the match.

Farmers best bowler Morgan returned for the penultimate over, 7 were scored and in the meantime debutant Dan Fitton came to the crease.

Dan faced, needing 9 to win the match and in un envious position of having to get into his stride very quickly against Nel who had been very tight. Indeed the first two balls were dotted out, increasing the pressure on the batting side – 9 required from 4 balls now.

Things didn’t get much better either, first Dan was out lbw meaning that we had to score from every ball and then Bouchard was run out from the 4th ball. Walkovers had snatched defeat from the jaws of victor surely, 9 required from 2 now – surely it was over, wasn’t it??

Naylor, now on strike played a nice shot into the covers for 3 meaning that English required a 6 for victory.

Nel stepped up and bowled one quite short and it meant English could swing through the line (well actually the cross batted smash we have come to know and love!) and high over the barriers for six. “Come on” was the shout from English as the Walkovers team celebrated a great victory.

An amazing finish to the game and given that Centurions have still yet to win a game, one that will surely mean Walkovers are playing Division 1 cricket next year thanks to some great application from the squad – great stuff lads! Fully deserved win and captain Patterson could have kept them up despite all odds... no counting chickens though.
Bouchard 26
Patterson 0
English 31*
Naylor 28*
Roche 16
Fitton 0