RAIN affected pitches often produce low scoring matches and so it proved last weekend, when Tipton chased down Worcester tourists Clents’ 106 on Saturday and just fail to defend 98 all out against Erratics on Sunday, writes David Birch.

Skipper Jim Bugler and Robin Pickering made the most of the conditions to engineer Clent’s downfall with three wickets each.

Phil Wright and Tom and David Birch chipped in with a wicket each, but all the bowlers maintained a degree of control, which meant the visitors barely managed more than two and a half runs an over throughout their innings.

Alec Pace, making his first appearance in three years, followed up a superb performance in the field with a confident and entertaining 36 in a partnership of 56 with Phil Tolley for the first wicket, which put the home team in sight of their target. Tolley, well supported by Justin Quick, saw Tipton home with no further loss of wickets.

Sunday’s timed game at Erratics saw Tipton asked to bat in similar conditions and fail to show the kind of patience required to set a challenging enough total. Phil Tolley’s 19 was the highest score although Al Matthews might have improved on his 16 were it not for an injury sustained taking a quick single.

Somehow Tipton made it to 15 minutes from tea, leaving Erratics seemingly all the time in the world to overhaul their 98 all out.

That it took 46 overs is testament to the tremendous efforts of Tipton’s attack, led by Steve Shaw and John Rodgers who bowled 25 overs between them.

Rodgers made the first breakthrough and Shaw followed up with three wickets to halt the momentum of the Erratics reply.

Wright, Birch and Mark Channon kept up the pressure as three more wickets fell, but the home skipper Ferro maintained his patience to hold the innings together from a potentially disastrous 27-6.

When Birch called on Rodgers and Shaw for one more effort, Rodgers removed Hooper’s off stump to reduce Erratics to 73-8 but Ferro saw his side home with a disciplined 45 not out.