Ben Walker will miss the upcoming Southern Premier League season after rupturing his Achilles tendon in Dorset’s seven-wicket Minor Counties Knockout Trophy defeat by Cornwall at North Perrott earlier this week.
The 29-year old left-hand all-rounder who Totton & Eling signed from Havant recently and around whom they were building this summer’s Division 2 promotion hopes, is in a knee length plaster at his Southampton home and awaiting a scan to ascertain the actual extent of the injury.
Opening the batting for Dorset in the 50-over cup tie in bitterly cold conditions, Walker hobbled off the field, initially nursing a calf injury.
“It was innocuous at the time. I just went to turn one round the corner off my legs and went down. It was a weird sensation,” he explained.
“I went back to the pavilion, took my left pad off and got some ice on it.
“It didn’t think it was that bad, just a twinge, and when a wicket fell went back into bat.”
With St Cross Symondians’ Ed Ellis acting as a runner, a hobbling Walker returned to the crease to move on to 30 and with support from Bashley Rydal’s Josh Digby (37) help Dorset reach 155-9, a target Cornwall later polished off for the loss of three wickets.
“I obviously wished I hadn’t gone back out there now, but us sportsmen do that sort of thing,” he added.
In increasing pain and discomfort after the match, Walker revealed that the lower part of his left leg began to swell up when he returned home.
“It was clearly more than a calf tear and when I went to the hospital they said it was a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“I’ve only got a plaster from my knee down, but it’s just a temporary measure.”
Walker had been due to make his Totton & Eling bow in Saturday’s SPL2 opener against Waterlooville at Southern Gardens.
“Now I’m going to be watching from the sidelines all season, a unique experience as I’ve never suffered a major injury before.
“I might offer to do the scoring – you normally get a free tea for doing that,” he joked.
He previously led Havant to back-to-back ECB Southern Premier Division championships in 2016 and 2017, topping the batting charts on both occasions.
The 29-year old left-hand all-rounder who Totton & Eling signed from Havant recently and around whom they were building this summer’s Division 2 promotion hopes, is in a knee length plaster at his Southampton home and awaiting a scan to ascertain the actual extent of the injury.
Opening the batting for Dorset in the 50-over cup tie in bitterly cold conditions, Walker hobbled off the field, initially nursing a calf injury.
“It was innocuous at the time. I just went to turn one round the corner off my legs and went down. It was a weird sensation,” he explained.
“I went back to the pavilion, took my left pad off and got some ice on it.
“It didn’t think it was that bad, just a twinge, and when a wicket fell went back into bat.”
With St Cross Symondians’ Ed Ellis acting as a runner, a hobbling Walker returned to the crease to move on to 30 and with support from Bashley Rydal’s Josh Digby (37) help Dorset reach 155-9, a target Cornwall later polished off for the loss of three wickets.
“I obviously wished I hadn’t gone back out there now, but us sportsmen do that sort of thing,” he added.
In increasing pain and discomfort after the match, Walker revealed that the lower part of his left leg began to swell up when he returned home.
“It was clearly more than a calf tear and when I went to the hospital they said it was a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“I’ve only got a plaster from my knee down, but it’s just a temporary measure.”
Walker had been due to make his Totton & Eling bow in Saturday’s SPL2 opener against Waterlooville at Southern Gardens.
“Now I’m going to be watching from the sidelines all season, a unique experience as I’ve never suffered a major injury before.
“I might offer to do the scoring – you normally get a free tea for doing that,” he joked.
He previously led Havant to back-to-back ECB Southern Premier Division championships in 2016 and 2017, topping the batting charts on both occasions.
