Newton Poppleford won the toss and batted in the Ken Baker Memorial Cup match, writes Phil Wright.

Opening bowler Joe Birch was encouraged when a short ball hooked by Paul Newbery was caught by Jim Bugler but was then hit for three consecutive boundaries by Ian Thomas before bowling him the next ball. Ollie Coates bowled very tidily at the other end accounting for Bill Gates. A good catch in the deep by Steve Shaw off Phil Wright ended a good partnership by A Raistrick (14) and Richard Coombs, who was eventually caught behind off David O’Higgins for 25.

David Birch took a low catch to dismiss Matthew Raistrick off Wright, and when S Newberry was bowled by O’Higgins the visitors were 95-8. However, E Thomas (30) held together the tail allowing his team reach 130.

Probably the pick of the Tipton bowlers were Coates with 3-6 from six overs and Wright 2-11 from seven.

Tipton’s reply was halted by G House in the fifth over when he had both Dave Jessop and Shaw caught. With the score on 46, a partnership between Dave Alford and Adam Gibbins was ended by E Thomas who bowled Gibbins for 9. Tipton’s brittle batting order then crumbled, losing five wickets for just 20 runs. Alford’s resistance was ended by Stone for 24 and no one else managed double figures. Joe Birch could not repeat his fine innings from the last game and was perhaps unlucky to be caught for just two.

For the Popples, E Thomas had excellent bowling figures of 2-4 from his six overs and Andrew March took 2-5 in his three and it was March who ended the Tipton’s resistance with the reply on 88 when he bowled David Birch.

Newton Poppleford therefore hold the Ken Baker trophy for another year.