Should I stay or should I go is a question pondered by many cricketers along with punk rockers The Clash.

The purists would argue that walking is a key part of cricket, the other school of thought is that if you walk you will always be out when you are, but you will also be out when the umpires get it wrong and there is no way to correct the balance.

As a younger player I was always a walker. My outlook changed one season after a run of shocking decisions by the men in white. I recall one particular egregious decision from Club President Pryor over at Witney Mills which was made worse the week after when I walked and was told by the same person that he didn’t realise I had hit it and would have given me not out. However after many seasons of not walking, I’ve mellowed with age and the dropping down the teams and now would walk if I thought I had hit it.

However the decision to walk or not to walk is always down to the individual and more of that later.

On a rock hard batting track and with Callum Henderson in good form it was an easy decision to ask Wootton to have a bat when Didcot won the toss. The first ten overs was all Didcot. Callum continued in his good form and hit one opener on the helmet with a quick bouncer. In Division 8 you usually see batsmen taking off helmets and replacing them with a cap but this week saw the opposite. Jim Casson was bowling at his miserly best at the other and and after 10 overs Wootton were 29-0.

However Wootton’s keeper/batsmen was just playing himself in and soon began to unleash some massive drives to get the scoreboard ticking.

Jim Casson made the breakthrough, with a nick behind into the keepers gloves. A huge appeal followed with Jim looking incredulous that the umpires finger hadn’t gone up. Little did he know that Wootton’s captain was already walking off behind him so the umpire hadn’t needed to make a decision. Kudos to the sportsman ship, especially when we found out at tea that the umpire hadn’t heard the nick and wouldn’t have given it.

Wootton’s number three and current league top scorer strode to the crease and quickly got going with some enormous hits, especially straight. He was looking very dangerous until Steve King got him with the veteran full toss into the top of middle.

Shortly afterwards we all got to witness Luke Taylor’s audition for the circus and I can attest to the fact that he would make an excellent juggler. Unfortunately juggling isn’t a great skill in cricket, not when it eventually finishes up with the ball on the floor after 6 attempts at the catch. Luke eventually got his revenge by clean bowling him with a pea roller.

Whilst all of this was going on at one end, the opening batsman was merrily going about his work. Punishing bad balls (and not so bad balls) and also picking up singles with excellent placement.

Ian Hunt was whirling away at one end and almost got his just deserts with a very close stumping of the new man but it was not to be.

Wooton closed out their 40 overs on 252 for 3 with their opener unbeaten on 112 in a totally chanceless innings.

Didcot’s reply got off to another good start, just losing Ally Henderson in the first 10 overs whilst taking the score to 47. However it was at this point that the philosophical dilemma started.

The introduction of Wootton’s spinner tempted Jim Casson into a sweep which ballooned up off the arm/glove and was taken by the keeper. Wootton were convinced it was out and were shocked when their umpire turned the appeal down. Jim was unmoved and anybody who has played with Jim knows he always walks. The only conclusion, it had hit his forearm and missed the glove. Wootton were not having it though and continued to chat, especially given their earlier walk.

At the end of the over Jim sought clarification from the skipper that if the ball concurrently hit the arm and wristband of the glove it was not out? Upon hearing the clarification that it would be out Jim was visibly moved. The next ball he faced from the spinner he walked out of his ground and allowed himself to be stumped. To their credit Wootton said it wasn’t needed and called him back and withdrew the appeal. The very next ball Jim did the same again and this time walked off. We live in unusual times due to covid and this was certainly up there with the most unusual things I’ve witnessed on a cricket pitch but done with sportsmanship at its heart. Kudos to all.

If we thought that was the end of the walking incidents we were wrong. First ball after the first drinks ball, Costello played at a ball which went through to the keeper. Wootton were convinced they heard something, the umpire disagreed and Costello stood his ground having not felt anything through the bat handle. Cue another 10 minutes of sledging until things settled down.

Pete Sykes played some excellent shots before being dismissed to a good catch and this brought Ian Hunt to the crease. Ian and the skipper batted for 15 overs before Costello was dismissed in the 31st over for 69. Ian followed in the next over for a gritty 20 and it was left to the rest of the team to bat out the remaining 8 overs to earn a draw.

At the mid-innings break and knowing we had a very large run chase on our hands I had asked for people to bat with heart and for pride. They didn’t disappoint and the passion on display was outstanding. A special mention to Ian Ross who stepped in at the last minute to become the 11th man on the hottest day of the year when he could have simply watched Jamie from the shade of the gazebo.