An injury-hit Tipton St John were soundly beaten by visitors South Brent on Sunday.

After Dave Thayre was out caught for 6, a good partnership between Phil Tolley and Mark Burnard added 60 but when Tolley was bowled for 45 the middle order failed to click.

Mike Bennett who played for Tipton in the 1980’s made a guest appearance, but was unlucky when a ball clipped his off bail and he was unable to add to his previous 913 runs!

Mark Burnard kept losing partners as he edged towards his first Tipton 50, with just Phil Wright left. Wright, returning too soon from a hamstring injury, was in trouble again when assisting Burnard to 48 and only sympathetic fielding prevented him from being run out, as Burnard reached his 50 off the last ball of the innings and Tipton closed on 147-9.

This was an easy task for the South Brent batsmen who decided to retire at 30. Three of them did just that. The only wickets taken were when John Buckland bowled Gareth Havard and Michael Mullett, then took a catch off the bowling of Matt Davies. The visitors romped home with 150-3 and 15 overs to spare.