Tipton St John CC in urgent appeal for new players

Tipton St John player David Higgins has the umpires coat as he prepares to resume play. Picture PHIL WRIGHT (Image: Archant)

For the game, Tipton could only muster nine players, but thankfully the visitors had just 10.

Tipton batted first and lost a couple of early wickets, but a partnership of 58 between Phil Tolley and Chris Tubbs helped take the score to 90 when Tubbs was bowled for seven.

The partnership had allowed Tolley to reach his half century. Jem Gillham did not score, but Keith Collins helped Tolley add a further 31 partnership before Tolley was well caught by a young fielder in the deep having scored 75.

Phil Wright loitered at the wicket long enough for Collins important runs. When bowled Wright had contributed just one to a partnership of 29!

Last man David O'Higgins soon departed leaving Collins stranded on 29 and Tipton posting 162.

The Tipton bowlers found it hard to break through the three left handers at the top of the order. When O'Higgins did claim the wicket of Nick Torday aided by a Wright catch, it only brought in another experienced left hander Richard Farnborough who helped opener Geoff Sharp take the visitors to the brink of victory.

At this stage, Phil Wright suffered a dislocated finger when attempting a catch on the boundary and was packed off to hospital.

At that point Sharp and Farnborough retired on 82 and 50 respectively allowing the younger members of the team to bat.

Jem Gillham did get two wickets and Dave Jessop one as the visitors lost more wickets, but they reached their target with nine overs to spare.

With Wright's injury along with other establish players out at the moment, Tipton's resources are very thin, and so anyone in the area who would like to play occasionally or regularly, we will be pleased to hear from you, please see our website for contact details.