With skipper and Gloveman Mick Clay falling foul to injury Vice captain Dave Gallagher won the toss and opted to bat first. Looking to take confidence from last weeks big score against the league leaders, Rolleston opened with Dave Gallagher and Mark Chalkley looking to get off to a positive start but some tight early bowling aided by some movement in the air kept the scoreboard quiet. Despite looking solid Dave Gallagher (6) fell after mistiming a defensive stroke straight back to bowler Bennett in the 5th over. Tom Yates joined Chalkley and after some watchful defence soon started to punish some wayward bowling, both being particularly ruthless to anything short. They started to dominate the bowling which by now was tiring in the hot afternoon sun. Despite both giving early chances Yates and Chalkley stuck to their game plan and built a solid foundation which by the 24th over had taken the score to 66. With a strong batting line up behind them both youngsters started to play some delightful shots adding the next 50 in just 5 overs. Tom Yates being first to reach a personal milestone of a maiden league 50 was in the mood for a big score and with Chalkley playing a more watchful but equally positive role they despatched the bowling to all corners but made particular use of the small riverside boundary. Despite a number of bowling changes Chalkleys 50 soon followed. Yates continued to play the aggressor and was rewarded with his maiden century after a series of huge sixes he raced through the 90s to rapturous cheers from his team mates. With the score at 204 and Tom Yates on 114 he eventually fell at deep mid off to a catch by Fellgate off the bowling of Bennett, his innings included 10 fours and 7 sixes. The pair had added 195 in 34 overs. Steve Yates joined Chalkley with the comfort of knowing a big score was likely. After cracking a quickfire 14 Yates fell LBW to Mills, Alex Brown next to the crease then hit a stylish 23 including 3 sixes from consecutive Bennett deliveries adding 34 with Chalkley before being run out. Knowing Chalkley was close to a fantastic century Brown selflessly went for a difficult 3rd run to get Chalkley back on strike with overs running out. With all team mates on their feet Chalkley reached a magnificent 100 off the final ball of the innings, he’d batted for 46 overs, hitting 12 fours. The innings closed with Rolleston hitting the home team for 266 losing 4 wickets. 200 had been added in the final 22 overs. The bowling had been treated ruthless but Bennett 13–4–56-2 and Mills 9-0-31-1 being the pick of the Walton attack.
Walton started cautiously against the accurate bowling of Warren Cowell and youngster Louis Burrows but knowing that if they were secure a victory they had to be positive at every opportunity. R Lynch and M Clewes despite numerous play and miss shots added 52 for the first wicket with Brett Cobley taking a great catch at deep mid wicket to remove Lynch (34) off the bowling of Warren Cowell in the 13th over. A Wilson (10) joined Clewes and continued to score at 4 an over until he became the first of Steve Dolbys three victims. Clewes (35) soon followed being Dolbys second LBW victim. M. Beard and L Hemmingway (11) struggled early on to find their feet, the latter falling to a smart Steve Yates catch at gully again off Dolby. The score now at 130 for 4 in the 32nd over. M Beard then decided to take the initiative with wickets falling at regular intervals at the other end. C Widdowson (7) run out by some great work off his own bowling by Alex Showell provided some able support to Beard who was cutting loose to every delivery. A mixture of aggression, superb timing and the good fortune needed in a run chase saw Beard race to 98 and the score to 212 in the 43rd over before falling to a magnificent catch by Louis Burrows. Burrows taking a steepling catch at deep mid on off spinner Tom Yates in his first over. Nigel Tate kept the run chase at bay with a couple of good overs before being redplaced by Brett Cobley in the search to buy a wicket. Tom Yates then took his second wicket thanks to a Dave Gallagher catch, D Felgate (9) the victim. Brett Cobley secured the extra point by removing D Bennett (8) in the final over courtesy of a smart stumping by stand in gloveman Alex Brown. H. Mills (2no) and D Fearn (2no) seeing out the match for a draw. Warren Cowell 13-1-56-1, Louis Burrows 9-0-54-0, Steve Dolby 14-1-64-3, Alex Showell 5-1-18-0, Nigel Tate 2-0-9-0, Tom Yates 2-0-4-2, and Brett Cobley 1-0-15-1 doing the bowling legwork. Walton 10pts Rolleston 18pts.