The Tipton St John season finally got underway on the chilliest of days, away to local friends and rivals Newton Poppleford, writes David Burch.

Although Tipton were hampered from the start by the absence of some regular players and the drop-out of two more on the day, their hosts kindly provided an extra player, Chloe Adey, and an extra fielder.

Skipper Dave Alford won the toss and elected to bowl first, so a ring-rusty and frozen team took to the field in search of an early advantage.

It didn’t come, despite a respectable eight over spell from Alford and David Birch, in which Tony Cox and George House settled in comfortably at the crease.

The score had advanced to 47 when Cox fell to Giles Benbow, one of two Tipton debutants, well caught by Al Matthews at mid-on.

Benbow followed up with the wicket of Anning before House and Richard Coombs added 76 for the third wicket, House finally falling to the returning Alford for a patient 66.

Birch then had Coombs caught by Alford for 41, while Dave Jessop’s off spin at the other end accounted for Matt Raistrick, stunningly caught by second debutant Ned Binding, and Lee Adey, trapped lbw. Birch then bowled Lewis Adey with the final ball of the match with the score on 185-7.

Disaster struck on the first delivery of Tipton’s reply when Matthews was run out without facing a ball, but Keith Collins and Binding raced to 32 off five overs.

Sadly, this was the highest partnership of the innings and once Collins went for 24, only Benbow offered serious resistance, capping an excellent all-round performance with 43, which ended on the final ball of the innings with the score on 124 and Tipton 61 runs short of their target.