SMASHING 32 runs off one over is a fine way to bring up any century, but it was even sweeter for Steve Bowman as it helped his Worcester Nomads side overhaul local rivals Worcester’s massive 306-6 to seal a memorable victory.

The Norton-based side racked up their commanding total thanks to Dan McKay’s 99 and 62 from Nick Brown, but Bowman and his Nomads team-mates were in no mood to concede defeat in the Worcestershire League Division One clash.

Coming to the crease with Nomads on 175-6 with around 25 overs to go, Bowman set about the Worcester bowling attack and bludgeoned a match-winning 132 not out off just 75 balls to see his team home with two overs to spare.

His boundary-laden innings has scooped this week’s Worcester News cricketer of the week award and the prize of a £30 voucher to spend at the Fearnley Factory Shop in Sherriff Street that goes with it.

Worcester-based Bowman said: “I have had a few hundreds before, but that was my first one in the league and I’ve been playing for Nomads for 23 years.

“I used to open the batting, but I’ve been struggling with injuries for four or five years, so they decided to drop me into the middle order and I bat at five or six now and it seems to be going well.

“In this match, I went in with about 25 overs left and we still needed a fair few runs to win.

“I never hang around when I bat, but everything just seemed to keep going to the boundary and it was a fast outfield.

“I hit four sixes and two fours off one over, which took me to my hundred.

“We stayed at the club for a couple of beers to celebrate afterwards because it was a brilliant win chasing down such a big total.

“I know quite a few of the lads who play for Worcester, so that made my innings even sweeter.”

Nomads skipper Ben Schiffmann, who contributed an unbeaten 30 while dodging Bowman’s boundaries at the non-striker’s end, added: “They got a decent total, but I just told the lads at the half-way stage to be positive.

“Liam O’Driscoll (68) gave us a fast start and Sam Roberts (54) carried on the good work, but Steve started off quite slowly when he first got in.

“He hit four sixes and two fours in one over and it changed the game for us.

“I was batting with him at the time and, before that, we needed to score at about 10-an-over.

“We had been going along at about seven or eight-an-over, but Steve said to me, ‘this is the over’ and it certainly was!

“Steve is a big character and likes to tell us all about his past achievements, but he has now finally put that into practice!

“We always have good games with Worcester, so it was nice to win in those circumstances — it’s always good to get one over on them.”