Stoke Fleming v Harberton

This was Stoke's first game for two weeks after their scheduled game the previous Sunday was cancelled by their opponents.

It couldn't have been a more important one – up against old rivals Harberton in defence of the Mills Village Shield.

As has often been the case when these two sides meet, the outcome was decided by a relatively small margin; Stoke winning by 20 runs.

In perfect conditions Stoke, on their home track, batted first after skipper Eddie Church won the toss and John Hardy and Steve Edmonds were quickly away, taking 21 off the first 3 overs.

But in the fourth, Hugh Whitlock gave the visitors their first wicket, bowling Hardy for 19.

Tim Robinson repla-ced him and with Edmonds kept the scoring rate above five an over, with Robinson especially, regularly finding the boundary.

With a fifty partnership reached Stoke looked well set, but after Edmonds (15) broke his bat, he lofted a straightforward catch, with his new one and Stoke were 78 for 2.

Harberton, with the introduction of new bowler Tregellis, shock-ed Stoke when they took two wickets in his opening over.

First Robinson was bowled for 35 and, with the next ball, Church was sent straight back to the pavilion and Stoke were 79 for 4.

The visitors now looked to have the upper hand but Stoke got back into the game with Dan Hardy and Noel Edmonds taking wayward bowling to task and hitting some crisp shots for four. On the back of a fifty partnership they took the Stoke score to 146 for 4 and 250 plus looked on the cards.

All their good work though was once again undone with another double strike by Harberton.

This time it was Dennis who took two wickets in one over, getting Hardy caught for 42, and Edmonds for 24.

When Sam and Ted Duberley and Glen Black came and went in quick succession, 250 looked a long way off with the home side on 161 for 9.

Stoke veterans, Gil Garland and Mike Perkin, were the last pair at the crease and knew 200 would at least put Stoke in with a shout. They nudged the score along and it crept ever closer to the 200 mark but on 196, Garland (10) was bowled by Tobias and the final wicket fell, leaving Perkin undefeated on 11.

Top wicket taker for Harberton was Dennis with 4 for 30 from 6 overs.

Their opening pair though was soon parted when Noel Edmo-nds removed Somer-ville for 2, caught behind by his brother Steve and the visitors were 6 for 1.

Skuse and number three batsman John Mather should both have been out but spilled catches meant they took Harberton's score to 62 before Robinson had Skuse caught behind for 41.

Perkin grabbed two in his first two overs, getting both Mather (15) and Tregellis (3) caught and reducing Harberton to 67 for 4.

At the halfway stage the visitors needed another 127 off the remaining 20 overs. They took their total to 80 but then lost 2 wickets with the score on 82.

Perkin took his third wicket, Owers caught by Robinson for 3 and Tobias was bowled by young Ted Duberley for a duck.

When Duberley took his second wicket, bowling Dennis for 7 and Glen Black bowled Tobias for 40, Harber-ton were 125 for 8 and had their penultimate pair in the middle and only 5 overs left.

Waller and Whitlock, had no intention of surrendering and to their credit did their best to hit everything bowled at them to the boundary. They rode their luck and survived dropped chances taking 45 from the last five overs finishing on 26 and 23 not out respectively.Harberton on 176 for 8, lost by 20 runs.

The match sponsor was The Royal Castle Hotel.