AFTER several false starts owing to rain this season, Walkham Valley were finally able to get a game underway at the Memorial Field against TACC from Plymouth. The guests batted first, but found it hard going against some well directed, disciplined bowling. Ted Hatton and Ron Connor kept their wickets intact for 10 overs but in the process only scored a miserly 29. Connor eventually departed for 9, from a superbly taken running catch in the outfield by Kevin Baxter off Roger Smith. Badcock soon went to a similar catch by the agile, alert Baxter, this time off Graham Vincent. Hatton retired undefeated on 23. Bill Tynan clean bowled Chris Adams, then James Vincent mopped up Turnbull for 3. The final over was bowled by young Mark Partington Smith who accounted for TACC skipper Mervyn Holden with a good straight ball, to leave the guests on an unimpressive 59 for 5. The Walkham attack had conceded only one boundary overall and less than 10 runs in each of their two overs, a remarkable achievement. The wickets fell to Tynan, 1 for 3, Smith 1 for 4, G Vincent 1 for 5, J Vincent 1 for 3 and M Partington Smith 1 for 4. With rain threatening, Walkham were keen to get on with the run chase, and David Wilson duly obliged, clouting two fours in his short innings of 10, while Ken Kay propped up the other end. Kevin Baxter came and went quickly for 2, bringing Graham Vincent to the wicket. The hosts struggled a bit to keep up momentum as Salt and Hatton applied pressure and eventually Kay was bowled by Millett for 12, having just scored a boundary. James Vincent?s emergence was what was needed, and he put the TACC bowlers to the sword with 18 runs off 5 balls, including two sixes. With his father at the other end giving him the strike where possible, Vincent the younger scored the winning run off Chris Adams in the twelfth over to finish unbeaten on 24 with father not out 9 as the weather closed in and the heavens opened. In Walkham Valley?s 60 for 3, Salt took 2 for 3 and Millett 1 for 14 for TACC. A convincing victory for the home side, founded for a pleasant change on the quality and discipline of their bowling. AS a supporting act to the traditional Walkhampton Flower Show, Walkham Valley took on the Plymouth based Oddballs in a 30 over match at the Memorial Field. The flower enthusiasts were treated to a run festival as Oddballs, facing a disappointing seven Walkham Valley worthies, racked up a mammoth total of 258 for 7. Tookey, with 56 not out, took advantage of some lacklustre bowling, as did Worth, 49 not out, Stones, 36 not out, Haines 27 and Brian Kiddle, 26. The only bouquets for Walkham Valley went to Chris Ralph. Playing in only his third match for the club, took 4 for 27 from five overs of steady bowling, two of his victims falling to good catches by Simon Ward, the others to substitute fielders. Simon Ward in his 1 for 48 took the wicket of D Stone from a diving catch by Sandy Ralph behind the stumps. With his bowler?s hat on, Sandy Ralph also took 1 for 39 when he accounted for Brian Kiddle, caught by a substitute. The other wicket to go fell to a father and son combination as J Berry clung on to a catch at silly mid off from Rich Berry, who ended up with 1 for 22 from his five overs. Confronting such a daunting total, Walkham Valley?s munificent seven made a disastrous fist of it, losing six wickets for 19 runs from 10 overs with only J Berry (11) reaching double figures. Rich Berry?s return to the crease lifted spirits somewhat as he set about the second string bowlers, plundering two sixes and two fours in a quickfire 28. Chris Spreadbury then followed suit and rattled up another adventurous score of 41, including two sixes and four fours in a scampering partnership with father Ray as the home team scraped together 118 from their allocated overs. Riley 1 for 6, G Hewitt 1 for 4, Worth 3 for 2, R Hewitt 3 for 1 and D Stones 2 for 5 inflicted the damage as the hosts took a comprehensive thrashing.
