WALLYS Eleven won the Dixon Shield when they overcame wet conditions and fellow Section D side EIS Maidens in a nail-biting finish at Darcy Lever Cricket Club.

Wallys went into the game as confirmed Section D champions with EIS well down the table, but EIS were not prepared to let that affect them.

Despite losing their first batter at first base and two failing to score first time round, the EIS Maidens dug in.

Helen Mewes punished the fielders after her opening no score and went on to be last batter and top scorer with 26, including the only rounder of the innings, as EIS powered to a total of 82.

Lisa Jackson played a steady innings to score 15 and Tracy Southern also reached double figures with 10.

Disappointed with their performance, Wallys Eleven suffered further misery when they went in to bat.

Four of the first five batters scored singles and Beth Hodgkiss a three but four of the remaining batters were dismissed without scoring, three at first base and one hit out.

After two rounds, Wallys were down to five players who stuck in and pushed the score to 49, with 12 from last batter Julie Cunliff.

At 33 runs behind, Wallys narrowly missed the follow-on.

Although they managed to dismiss first-innings high scorer Jackson at first base on the first round, Mewes escaped with no score but was caught next time round.

After six rounds EIS were reduced to two batters – Tracy Southern, who again achieved double figures with 13, and last batter Sally Ford who scored the only rounder of the innings on her way to 17.

All out for 57 and a match total of 139, EIS had set Wallys a target of 91 to lift the Shield and they rose to the challenge, playing a very careful innings by scoring a large number of single runs and losing just one batter on the first round.

After four rounds, Wallys still had seven batters.

Charlotte Knox scored three rounders, two after a no score, and was eventually hit out for 26, while last batter Karla Hatton finished with a rounder before being denned for 15.

With three rounders late in the innings, Wallys finished on 100 to make their match total 149, giving them victory by 10 runs.

The Chadwick Cup final between last year’s finalists Little Lever XI and Rupert Ladies A will be played at Bolton Cricket Club on Friday.

Holders Little Lever will be looking to avenge last week’s league defeat by the new league champions.

Going into the final week in the league, Rupert Ladies A have reclaimed the Section A championship, but second place could be settled by today’s match between Darcy Lever C&SC A and Little Lever XI.

A win or a draw would make Little Lever the runners-up but a Darcy Lever victory would put them in a play-off next week.

Lostock CMB are champions of Section B, but second place depends on this week’s matches.

Second placed AB Ladies need a point from their game with Darcy Lever B but failure could result in a three-way tie involving Russell & Russell who play CMB and North West Hydraulics who face Future XI.

Davies XI and KC Ladies are joint top of Section C with HiQ Fabs A one point behind and with HiQ playing Davies on Tuesday, the outcome is far from certain.

The top two are confirmed in Sections D, E, F and K, but elsewhere there are uncertainties with play-offs next week a possibility – not least in Section N following Darcy Lever C&SC D’s nine-run win against BCC Interbake to put them level at the top.

New Inn XI B are two points behind and could yet get in on the act if either of the top two lose this week.

The unusual score of 89(I)-0 in Section C is because New Inn XI A had a bare minimum of six to start against Davies XI but when a player had to retire injured they declared.