TIM SMITH leads the way as Walden get back to wining ways...

East Anglian Premier League - Saffron Walden (180 all out) beat Bury St Edmunds (113 all out) by 67 runs

CALL him evergreen, a stalwart, a seasoned campaigner, a veteran – it doesn’t matter, because Walden’s Tim Smith is the gift that keeps on giving.

At the ripe age of 57 the former minor counties star dragged his teammates to an unlikely victory after they were put in and stumbled dangerously to 54 for seven.

An eighth wicket partnership of 84 between Smith, who struck a sultry 76 not out from 119 balls, including one six, and Ozzie all-rounder Jacob Rodgers (33) ensured that Walden set the hosts a target they could defend.

Defend they did. The slow bowlers, Andy Laws (3-20) and Smith (2-23), led the way but were superbly backed-up by Nick Batcheler (2-11) and self-proclaimed “unluckiest bowler in the league” Darren Cousins (3-39).

This was the break and the sort of fight that Walden skipper Neil Gladwin, who is struggling for form with the bat himself, was looking for.

Last week after the complete reverse happened, and two Zimbabweans put on a similar eighth wicket stand against Walden, Gladwin said a couple of tweaks was all that was needed to get his side winning again.

He said: “We have a team here capable of challenging for the title, we just need to show it and start getting the results we need to do that.”

With this victory his side bagged a valuable 30 points that has lifted them up to fifth place just 31 points of top of the table Great Witchingham.

Next: Walden host mid-table Sudbury at the Anglo American Playing Fields. 11am start.