Tipton’s final games of the season last weekend were at Harberton and then at home to Tedburn St Mary, and the two matches produced vastly different results.
With only 10 available players and limited batting resources for the trip to Harberton, captain David Birch opened himself with Phil Tolley and the pair battled for 18 overs before Tolley was caught for 23 with the score on 44.
Birch followed immediately for a dogged 14. Only David Thayre, with a bright 39, supported by Jack Roberts with 10, made any impression and Tipton were all out for 119. Cook, with a hat-trick for the hosts, ended the innings.
Although Tom Whittington took a good catch off Mark Channon to dismiss Toby McClement for six, his brother Mick, with 78 not out, steered Harberton to victory. Things did not start well on Sunday when Tedburn openers Matthew Leach and J Sweet blasted 53 in the first five overs!
However, once David Birch removed Sweet to a leg before decision, the wickets started to fall. A catch by Thayre off Phil Wright removed Pearse and the important wicket of Leach was taken by Birch with the aid of a catch by son Joe.
The remaining Tedburn batsmen were unable to cope with the slow off-spin of Wright on the pudding-like wicket and he cut through their scorecard.
He bowled Uren and Paul Coren before Birch bowled Barlow. Wright then removed the final four batsmen in quick succession with the score slumping to 86 all out in just 21 overs. Birch finished figures of 3-20 in eight overs and Wright with career best figures of 7-22.
Phil Tolley lost partner Michael Dawson early on for six, but with Alex Tubbs he took the score to 63-1 when tea was taken.
A rush of blood by Tolley to the first ball after tea saw him run out partner Tubbs, but with Dave Alford he took Tipton to victory by eight wickets. With this innings of 62, Tolley reached 1000 runs for the season for the eighth consecutive year.
So that’s that for another season. In all Tipton played 37 matches throughout the campaign, winning 13 and losing 24.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here