Jason Stephens' (below, right) third and last season as Captain turned out to be a pretty good one, results-wise. Out of 21 games played, there were 11 wins, 3 draws and 7 losses, a minimum lost to the weather. After a convincing win at Wimbledon United (nothing to do woth football!), the first tough fixture was Aldershot. WECC batted first, opener Tim Lamb scoring 40 and Dave Jones weighing in with a powerful 89 to help us attain 177 all out. Aldershot's reply was tempered only slightly by occasional wickets until Jason Walliker (pictured left) came on, taking 5-43. It wasn't quite enough: Howard Turner aside, WECC's bowlers proved unpenetrative when needed. A few catches went begging and Aldershot's last remaining pair shuffled the runs to win.

 Elthorne thrashed us but scuttling Chertsey Rec for 98 and losing but 2 wickets in reply restored some balance. Although taking one of Weybournes' openers out for nought, a 96 not out from Bridger (with support from Richards and Lamport) saw them reach their target with the loss of only two wickets.

 After convincing wins against the local Gordon's School and Wokings' Princess came the eagerly awaited tour, third in a row to Perranporth in Cornwall. By this time the Ponsmere Hotel on the sea-front was a second home to us and we repaid their kindness by only trashing one room (That is a joke?-Ed). The Saturday game versus Chew Stoke (another touring side from the Bristol area) scored 115-9 in their 40 overs. WECC didn't make it easy on themselves, Dave Lamb at no.3 lost partners all too regularly, until Mike Hills (pictured, left) came in with the score at 71-8. Strong hitting from Mike (left) and steady support from Dave saw us through to win by 2 wickets. The Saturday game versus Chew Stoke (another touring side from the Bristol area) scored 115-9 in their 40 overs. WECC didn't make it easy on themselves, Dave Lamb at no.3 lost partners all too regularly, until Mike Hills (pictured, left) came in with the score at 71-8. Strong hitting from Mike (left) and steady support from Dave saw us through to win by 2 wickets.

  We won Sundays' game at Mount Hawke fairly easily after escaping the tight bowling imparted by their opening bowlers. Jay Walliker walked out to bat at the non-strikers' end and was promptly run out first ball!!! Not just a Golden, but a DIAMOND! The Perranporth game was a 20-over affair, Jay Walliker making up his previous days' poor showing by thrashing 68, including five six's on our way to 152 for 7. The home side lost two early wickets, then Alan Hocking and Chris Martin set about us with 54 and 37 respectively. Once they were out however, the momentum was lost and they faded away to 139-6. We felt good winning all three games and the first time we had beaten our hosts in the three years of trying.

 Two losses followed the tour, by 23 runs to Southside and by 29 runs to our President's Invitation XI which featured Doc Bates (right) in fine form taking five of our scalps (for medical science, no doubt!). After this, we won all games between July 13th and August 24th, losing just one in the middle, a Club Cricket Conference arranged game against Woking Remnants' first XI. The reply to their 145 was tempered by some early cheap wickets. A fight back from Mike Hills was cut short just five runs shy of a half-Century and with only two other players reaching double figures WECC fell short of the hundred. We felt we could do better and replayed the firsts again in '98 and '99.

 Windlesham and Bisley are no walkovers. In the first, we scored 137 which is certainly not in the comfort zone, Harrison taking 5-34. All West End's bowlers contributed with wickets and Windlesham were scuttled out for 98 in a shade less than 35 overs. The following week Bisleys' total was 133, Adrian Barrett (pictured, left) taking 4-20 in five overs. Simon Line bowled well for Bisley and at one stage we were 50-4, however top-scorer Jay Walliker (28) and Adie Lamberth (17*) saw us through to victory. Westcott was a 'winning' draw, the visitors accruing 100-6 in reply to our 176-6. At DRA Farnborough WECC scored 195 all out only to see the home side romp home with 4 overs to spare. To round the season off, Woking Remnants 2nd XI were all but hammered into submission, Watkins (25) being their only player to make double figures. Despite hauls of 4-16 from Mike Hills and 3-12 from Tim Lamb (pictured , right), the visitors last pair clung on for a draw. If you think this was not at all a bad season, see what the following year threw up.