The hosts invited the visitors to bat and the game was soon in it’s stride. runs and wickets came at a steady pace as Mount put together their total.  Skipper Sam Weller was the pick of the batting, an array of good shots all around the ground enabled him to reach a stylish 72. Steve Archer, with three wickets and Paul Sparks and Dave Cook with 2 a piece were the pick of the bowlers. The Mount innings closed on 176 for 9.

In reply openers Bruce Lang and Tom Sparks set about the chase. Lang fell for 20 as Sparks moved smoothly on to a hard hit 59 before being caught in the deep. It was finally left to Phil Milton (34) and Paul Sparks (21) to pass the total, securing a 5 Wicket victory with overs to spare. All in all an enjoyable Tuesday afternoon’s cricket.

Timberscombe set about the chase in positive manner. Nick Hill (34)
with some hard hitting, and stalwart Bruce Lang (22) with touch and
guile, made light work of putting the visitors in a match winning
position. A late flurry from Kev Godfrey, with 17 of 9 balls faced
finished off the job.

Stoke St Mary 108 All out
D Packer 42
Rob Golding 5 for 17
Nick Virgin 4 for 20

Timberscombe 109 for 3
Nick Hill 34
Bruce Lang 22

Timberscombe 26 Points beat Stoke St Mary 3 Points by 7 wickets

   The home side batted first and despite a few scares Nick Hill and Steve
   Archer got off to a solid start.  Once Archer found his timing he began
   lashing the ball to the boundary, with one memorable six carrying well
   into the field across the road at long-on, before offering a return
   catch to the visiting skipper Warren.  This brought the prolific Paul
   Sparks to the wicket, and he quickly set about the bowling in
   partnership with Hill.  Having gone to 70 Hill was bowled by Wilson, and
   after some flashing shots by the middle order the innings closed on an
   excellent 254-5, Sparks finishing with a superb 78 not out.

   In reply Dan Bowditch bowled well with no luck, as Teston got off to a
   decent start before Russ Summersgill trapped Snaith in front of middle.
   Summersgill quickly picked up another wicket well caught at mid on by
   Alistair Lang, before Lang himself showed his golden arm with a wicket
   first ball as a leg-side long hop was helped gently into the hands of
   Jason Abbott at short fine leg.  Late arrival Tom Sparks then ran out
   Wilson with a superb throw from deep cover, before picking up the wicket
   of Bentwood thanks to a Phil Milton stumping.  The innings petered out
   at 160-8 after what was a fine performance in the field with everyone
   playing their part.

   TCC:  254-5 (P. Sparks 78*, N. Hill 70, S. Archer 39)
   Teston CC:  160-8 (S. Warren 35, C. Bentwood 29)

   After winning the toss on a damp track Timberscombe batted first, with
   opener Joe Shooter scoring a quickfire 27 before being caught in the
   deep.  This brought Jason Abbott to the crease, and after a painful blow
   early on he proceeded to smash the ball around in partnership with first
   Paul Sparks then Paul Keal as the total began to mount up.  Abbott
   finally retired on 101 with 12 fours and 6 sixes, having been
   particularly severe square of the wicket.  After a late flurry of
   wickets the home innings closed on 224 for 8.

   In reply SPM began brightly, aided and abetted by some typical early
   season fielding as catches were dropped on several occasions, with Keal
   being particularly unfortunate.  It was not until the seventeenth over
   that a wicket fell as Kevin Godfrey bowled Hammersmith senior for 37.
   Ian Buchanan, who had regularly beaten the bat, then had Vince caught on
   the boundary by Will Giblett, and Godfrey struck again in his next over
   to reduce the visitors to 91 for 3.  A fine catch in the slips from
   Buchanan gave skipper Matt Bowden a wicket, before Giblett bowled
   Hammersmith junior in the final over as SPM fell well short on 137 for
   5, with Smith carrying his bat for 51 not out.

   TCC:  214-8 (Abbott 101 ret, Keal 30, Shooter 27, Sparks 25)
   South Park Manor:  137-5 (Smith 51*, Hammersmith snr 37)

   Timberscombe were inserted on Exford’s artificial wicket and after a
   quiet start lost two quick wickets to leave them 30-2.  A good cameo 17
   for Tom Sparks led on to a 99 partnership between Bruce Lang and Jason
   Abbott, with Lang eventually falling for 57, possibly affected by the
   shock of hitting two sixes in an over.  Abbott and Paul Sparks took the
   total onwards before Abbott was bowled for a typically hard-hit 65, with
   Timberscombe eventually closing their innings on an above par 244-7.
   Pick of the bowlers in what was a wholehearted effort in the field were
   A Bruce with 3-48 and J Williams with 3-36, including a superb caught
   and bowled.

   In reply Exford struggled in the face of tight bowling, with Nick Hill
   and Matt Bowden both being successful in their opening spells despite
   some poor catching.  Alistair Lang and Tom Sparks then took over, with
   both bowling superbly and Sparks narrowly missing out on a hat trick,
   with the key wicket of big hitter JD a great piece of intelligent
   bowling.  Exford limped to 108 all out as Hill claimed his second wicket
   in the twenty-sixth over.

   TCC 244-8 (J Abbott 65, B Lang 57, P Sparks 30*, J Williams 3-36, A
   Bruce 3-48)
   Exford 108 all out (JD 31, T Sparks 3-27)

   Having lost the toss Timberscombe fielded first and despite a couple of
   early wickets Brasteed got off to a good start, with Pearce and S Young
   being severe on anything off length or line.  It took a magnificent
   catch at square leg by Kev Godfrey off Chris Hill to remove Pearce for
   42 with Young following to the same bowler shortly afterwards for 45.
   However, there was no respite as M Lea completed his maiden half
   century, and only tight bowling from Godfrey kept Brasted below 250 as
   they closed their forty overs on 242-7, which was attainable for a
   Timberscombe side with a strong batting line-up and lightning outfield.

   Timberscombe started well, keeping close to the required rate thanks to
   some delightful attacking batting by Nick Hill, who posted his fifty in
   double quick time in the face of decent bowling.  Number three Rob
   Golding batted well until sawn off by the trigger happy visiting umpire,
   and although Hill was still going strong he did not have much support at
   the other end until his brother joined him, at which point he completed
   his first century in four years and retired as he was visibly flagging
   in the heat.  This signalled Chris to attack the bowling until he too
   was cut off in his prime despite a massive inside edge onto his pads.
   With the tail failing to wag and the run rate required mounting not even
   the returning Nick Hill could attain victory, as he was run out in the
   penultimate over with the home side twenty runs short.

   Brasted Invicta 242-7 (Lea 67*, S Young 45, Pearce 42, B Young 35)
   TCC 222 all out (N Hill 108, B Young 3-23)

   Having lost the toss Timberscombe fielded first and despite a couple of
   early wickets Brastead got off to a good start, with Pearce and S Young
   being severe on anything off length or line.  It took a magnificent
   catch at square leg by Kev Godfrey off Chris Hill to remove Pearce for
   42 with Young following to the same bowler shortly afterwards for 45.
   However, there was no respite as M Lea completed his maiden half
   century, and only tight bowling from Godfrey kept Brastead below 250 as
   they closed their forty overs on 242-7, which was attainable for a
   Timberscombe side with a strong batting line-up and lightning outfield.

   Timberscombe started well, keeping close to the required rate thanks to
   some delightful attacking batting by Nick Hill, who posted his fifty in
   double quick time in the face of decent bowling.  Number three Rob
   Golding batted well until sawn off by the trigger happy visiting umpire,
   and although Hill was still going strong he did not have much support at
   the other end until his brother joined him, at which point he completed
   his first century in four years and retired as he was visibly flagging
   in the heat.  This signalled Chris to attack the bowling until he too
   was cut off in his prime despite a massive inside edge onto his pads.
   With the tail failing to wag and the run rate required mounting not even
   the returning Nick Hill could attain victory, as he was run out in the
   penultimate over with the home side twenty runs short.

   Brastead Invicta 242-7 (Lea 67*, S Young 45, Pearce 42, B Young 35)
   TCC 222 all out (N Hill 108, B Young 3-23)

   Eight man Timberscombe won the toss and elected to bat first, but an
   initial collapse saw the score at 31-4 after nine overs in the face of
   tight bowling, before Bruce Lang and Dominic Bowden saw Timberscombe to
   a decent total of 67-4, Lang carrying his bat for 29 not out.

   In their first innings the tourists got off to a fine start as Hutton
   hit the boundary regularly, and visiting skipper Wallace employed the
   long handle to take a first innings lead of 46, while Bruce Lang’s left
   arm spin claimed two wickets thanks to stumpings by Ollie Maxwell and
   Phil Bowden rolled back the years to take a wicket.

   After a fine tea Timberscombe’s second innings was a much more
   aggressive affair, as Ashley Keal smashed a superb 45 in double quick
   time, and skipper Matthew Bowden carried his bat, reaching a maiden
   fifty off the penultimate ball of the innings as SB Exiles were set 91
   to win.

   After a tight start from Dominic Bowden, James Ball and Dave Cook runs
   began to flow as Beevers and Sheehan began to accelerate the scoring
   rate, and despite losing a couple of wickets Beevers hit the winning
   runs with two overs to spare, to bring a fine and very enjoyable days
   cricket to a close.

   Timberscombe: 67-4 and 136-4 (M. Bowden 51*, A. Keal 45, B. Lang 29*)
   SB Exiles: 113-6 and 91-2 (Beevers 43*, Hutton 35, Wallace 31)

   Having won the toss Timberscombe batted, with Dave Cook and Tom Sparks
   laying a solid foundation against tight bowling from L Snell and L Rich.
   Sparks started to open his shoulders against the change bowling but just
   as a big score looked possible he chipped to square leg for 39.  Cook
   unselfishly retired at the halfway point, and after a quickfire cameo by
   James Ball skipper Matthew Bowden and Paul Sparks took the total to 124
   before Bowden was bowled heaving across the line at Dan Cross for 20.
   Sparks and Dominic Bowden then embarked on an unbroken 128 run
   partnership with a great acceleration which brought 82 runs off the
   final seven overs, Sparks finishing on 88* and Bowden on 38*.  Credit
   should go to tight bowling from H Rogers with 1 for 32 off his eight
   overs.

   In reply the visitors never really got going, with Dan Bowditch ripping
   out the top order in double quick time.  With Ashley Keal mixing good
   balls with erratic ones at the other end the pressure was kept on as
   pace turned to spin, with Ian Buchanan taking a hat trick in his miserly
   3 for 2 and Geoff Dibble bowling his usual impeccable line and length
   with ‘unbelievable tekkers’ to secure 4 for 20, which included a fine
   leg side catch by wicket keeper Ollie Maxwell.  Only D Sherring got into
   double figures as Bridgetown were all out at the end of the
   twenty-seventh over for 69.

   Timberscombe 252-3 (P Sparks 88*, T Sparks 39, D Bowden 38*, D Cook 25
   ret)
   Bridgetown 69 (D Sherring 17, G Dibble 4-20, I Buchanan 3-2, D Bowditch
   3-4)

Timberscombe saw off the challenge of North Newton thanks to some
devastating bowling and keen fielding.

Choosing to bat on a soft wicket the home side found runs hard to come
by. From their 18 overs they had only reached 100 with Paul Keal (28)
and Kev Godfrey the main contributors. Tight bowling from all the
Newton bowlers had kept the runs down and had made scoring hard.

An early direct hit run out by Tom Sparks in the first over lifted the home side.
Opening bowler Gary Archer proved very difficult to play. His 4 for 4
from his 5 overs took the game away from the visitors. Only J Stone
with 23 looked like troubling Timberscombe. When Kev Godfrey weighed in
with 4 for 8 the innings was done. Timberscombe ran out winners by 30
runs.

Timberscombe 100 for 5

Paul Keal 28

Kev Godfrey 39

North Newton 70 All out

Gary Archer 4 for 4

Kev Godfrey 4 for 8