Emphatic 85 run victory

Jim Bugler made his d�but as captain against Peterson Super Ely as Tipton batted first on a hard, dry wicket, but it was the visitors who struck first, removing opener Steve O’Higgins in the fourth over for 14 runs.

But Phil Tolley and Matt Williamson went on to amass a second wicket partnership of 115, before the former was caught on 76. Williamson went on to craft an assured half century, but was out for 52 five overs later. Three more explosive innings from Charlie O’Higgins, Jim Bugler and Dave Dawson, (19, 25 and 24 respectively) brought the team to a respectable 243 by tea.

Opening bowlers Dave O’Higgins and Adam Gibbins bowled well, restricting the visitors’ opening batsmen to 16 runs after eight overs. Despite the slow start, Watkins and Stancombe began to dominate, displaying an impressive array of shots. Watkins reached 99 before Gibbins bowled him with a freak short ball that cleared his head and landed on top of the stumps. The introduction of Phil Wright saw the loss of three more wickets, before Mark Channon had Stancombe stumped by Dawson on 92 to end the Peterston innings and leave Tipton victors by a margin of 14 runs.

l On Sunday, Tipton faced a youthful Chardstock team at their idyllic, but steeply sloping, home ground. Skipper David Birch won the toss and elected to bat, opening with the prolific Phil Tolley and obdurate Dave Dawson. Chardstock’s opening bowlers caused problems for both with bounce and swing, before Dawson fell to an in-swinging leg stump yorker. Despite the tricky conditions, Tolley rose to the occasion, flaying the ball to amass 150 runs on his way to passing 1,000 runs for the season so far. Tipton finished their 40 overs with 260 runs for the loss of just three wickets.

Tipton’s openers, Joe Birch and Paul Williamson, reduced Chardstock to 10 for 2 after four overs. But James Legg began the Chardstock comeback, taking full advantage of being dropped by Birch (Joe) on 15. After 20 overs Chardstock were on 100 for 4 and it took the introduction of Steve Shaw to dismiss Legg for 76 to swing the game firmly in Tipton’s favour. In the field Williamson distinguished himself with a superb diving catch and a direct hit run-out from mid-off. John Rogers took three wickets in his 8 overs to round off an emphatic 85 run win for Tipton.