Vice-captain George Walker has rejected the notion that Swardeston must primarily avoid losing to title rivals Cambridge Granta tomorrow – he believes it is a game the Norfolk side have to win.
Swardeston currently lie 37 points behind the leaders and while defeat would probably spell the end of their championship challenge, Walker is taking a more positive view of tomorrow’s showdown.
He said: “I read Paul Newman’s column in the Evening News saying it was a game we must not lose, but I think we really have to win. With four games left, 37 points is a pretty reasonable gap and I think if we were in that position we would be reasonably confident of winning the title.
“We have played our cricket positively all year because you get a lot more points for a win than a draw. Going for a draw can sometimes put you in a negative frame of mind so we will be going there to win.”
If past results count for anything, Swardeston hold a significant advantage going into tomorrow’s game. They have beaten Granta four times in the last four years – including a five-wicket victory at The Common this season – and you have to go back to 2005 for the Cambridge side’s last league win over Swardeston.
“Over the last two or three years we’ve done alright against them and that’s definitely something in our favour,” added Walker. “But you don’t know what’s going to happen and you just have to concentrate on doing the simple things well.”
Swardeston appear to be hitting form at just the right time, having won their last three completed games, although they may ultimately be left to rue a recent wet weekend in Clacton: “We’ve done well in the last few games and it’s just disappointing that the game at Clacton was rained off,” said Walker. “Both Saffron Walden and Granta played that day and won and that has knocked us back a bit.”
Young seamer Sam Thelwell was the engineer of last weekend’s five-wicket win over Burwell, taking seven for 29, and Walker said: “It was the best I’ve seen Sam bowl, he was very consistent and hit good areas throughout his spell. If you land the ball in the right place enough times things will go your way, it’s not just a matter of luck, and that’s what happened for him last week.
“He’s had a couple of injuries which have set him back this year and it takes a couple of games to get your rhythm back, but he’s done well in the last couple of games.”
While the title race now appears to be a three-way battle, at the other end of the table it is developing into a straight fight between Fakenham and Halstead to avoid relegation.
With teams from the feeder leagues having indicated a desire to seek promotion, the bottom side is facing the drop. Fakenham beat Horsford at Manor Park in the recent Carter Cup final and they need a repeat performance when the two sides meet at the same venue in the league tomorrow to ease their relegation fears.
Halstead meanwhile face a tough game at home to second-placed Saffron Walden.
Elsewhere tomorrow, Vauxhall Mallards host Bury St Edmunds, Great Witchingham travel to Burwell and Norwich are away to Clacton.
Article courtesy of the Eastern Daily Press
