Sunday 23rd June 2002 vs Vagabonds C.C.
 
Dogged Wash hang on
 
Vagabonds C.C. 199 all out
Washington C.C. 166 for 9
 
Washington clung on to salvage a draw in a white-knuckle ride encounter with Hampshire side Vagabonds on Sunday. Having knocked over their hosts for 199, Washington looked to be in with a big shout at 98-1 with 17 overs to go, only for a mid order batting collapse to leave the last two men hanging on grimly for the last six overs of the game to save the match.

‘That', as skipper Dave Walker said afterwards, breathing a sigh of relief, ‘was what you call an exciting draw'.

Vagabonds won the toss and batted first. They scored quickly, taking full advantage of the short boundary. Opener Harding scored 44, but the most effective batsman was Shinner, who scored 63, with a number of 6's over mid-wicket.

Washington's attack were made to work hard. Pick of the bowlers were Mick Kennedy with 2-32 and Justin Gurney with 3-32, while Eric Stoughton (3-55) and Kit Cooper (2-32) ably assisted them. Behind the stumps, meanwhile, Alan Moffat kept brilliantly with two stumpings and a great catch, while Stephen Brown took three very good outfield catches.

Needing 200 to win, Washington started off in positive fashion. David Gluckman (31) and David Walker (34) added 58 for the first wicket in 19 overs. This left 27 overs to score 142 to win, and the stage seemed set for the big hitters. Brown (24) and Walker continued the good work and with 17 overs left Wash needed only 102 with nine wickets in hand.

But then disaster struck. Vagabonds slow medium bowler, Geach (5-37), started to get some swing, and not only did the runs dry up, but the wickets started tumbling. Paul Irons, batting 6, weighed in with a quick-fire 19 in 17 balls, but elsewhere it was gloom and doom as Washington's players formed a steady file back to the pavilion.

With 6 overs to go, a win was impossible, and only brave defence by Mick Kennedy and Eric Stoughton enabled the Wash to hang on for an exciting draw to keep their unbeaten record intact.

Scoring details were : Gluckman 31, Walker 34, Brown 24, Moffat 6, Hitchcock 6, Irons 19, Roche 4, Gurney 8, Kennedy 8 not out, Cooper 0, Stoughton 5 not out.

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