Walker keeping faith as Havant remain in glory contention

Ben Walker. Picture: Neil Marshall (170311-1)

Havant are seeking revenge on St Cross Symondians at Havant Park tomorrow for a Southern League premier division defeat earlier this season.

Then on Sunday they travel to Beckenham to take on Wimbledon in the area semi-final of the national club T20 competition.

‘The game against St Cross is the last all-day game so we will be ready to get stuck in,’ said Walker.

‘It should be an interesting affair after they played well to beat us nine weeks ago.

‘We know we will have to play good cricket to beat them.

‘Our performances overall this season have been pretty good though.

‘The team has worked hard together to produce some good stuff.

‘There is still a lot of cricket to be played and until it is mathematically impossible we will keep believing we can defend our crown.

‘We feel we are still in with a shout.’

Walker has been a major contributor to Havant’s success.

He looks on his way to repeating last season’s feat of finishing as the leading runs scorer in the premier division.

Last season he finished with 739 runs and he has already notched 453 so far this season.

With Hampshire’s Jimmy Adams and Joe Weatherley potentially in the St Cross Symondians line-up, this could be a key task.

Last season’s surprise package runners-up Burridge had a massive hole to fill when South African Geoff Dods linked up with Hucknall in the Nottinghamshire Premier League.

But his replacement, left-hand all-rounder Brighton Mugochi has been a revelation according to vice-captain Dan Hewitt.

Zimbabwe-born Mugochi was playing Sussex League division four cricket with relegated Henfield last season.

But 229 runs and 21 wickets underline what a success he’s been at Botley Road.

‘Slow left-armers are never easy to play in club cricket,’ said Burridge vice-captain Dan Hewitt.

‘He has a good variation in flight with a proper quicker ball.

‘Batsmen are given little respite and he’s a proper cricketer.’

In division three Waterlooville will look to maintain pressure at the top by beating Havant II in a local derby at Rowlands Avenue.