Tipton’s match with Yarcombe and Stockland had a strange start, writes Phil Wright.

The visitors could only field nine players, so Steve Triner, who delivered his son on the way to Bristol airport, offered to open the batting.

Unfortunately for the Tipton bowlers, he blitzed a quick 50 in 45 minutes before retiring and heading to the airport!

The normally prudent David Birch conceded five of the boundaries and was pleased to see him depart.

Although Dave Alford bowled Ollie Fuller for eight and Ollie Smith for nine, the runs continued to flow from Sam Fuller (39) James Mitchell (34) and Charlie Buck (31)

David O’Higgins removed Mitchell thanks to a stumping by Keith Collins, his bowling figures suffered and his 1-58 took him over the 1,000 runs conceded in the season, thankfully a fate not suffered by any bowler in Tipton history. Alford’s 2-22 helped keep the visitors down to 188-6.

Tipton’s reply did not start well, losing four batsmen for 36 runs. Phil Tolley and Dave Alford had started the revival, but young John Triner enticed Tolley to play-on having scored 27. Dave Jessop made a good start, but the second of four great catches by Ollie Fuller at cover saw him depart for 14.

Triner struck again, bowling Jem Gillham before Tipton debutant Charlie Garrett raised hopes of a Tipton win. Unfortunately, Alford went to another Fuller catch having scored 68, his highest score for Tipton.

When David Birch was bowled by Fuller for a duck, 25 were still needed with only O’Higgins left to partner Garrett. The deficit had been reduced to seven when Garrett skied a ball off Smith and Fuller took his fourth catch in an exciting finish. Young John Triner with 4-39 was the pick of the bowlers.