¨ Harberton versus Denbury at Stonehills on 4 May 2008

¨ Harberton 216 for 5 (40 overs)

¨ Denbury 50 all out (23 overs)

¨ Harberton won by 166 runs

¨ Man of the match: Bill Scott

¨ Champagne Moment: Darren Stibbs clean bowling Simon Hickey first ball

Harberton’s impressive start to the 2008 season gathered momentum in this rare one sided fixture with Denbury. To be fair to the opposition they lacked their usual batting strength and the 166 run margin of victory is unlikely to be repeated. That said, there was a professionalism and ruthlessness shown by the whole Harberton team which is encouraging going into a Shield match next weekend.

A hot humid day with the melodic song of the skylark in the background greeted the players and it was no surprise when Harberton skipper David Cook chose to bat first on winning the toss. Following their fine partnership last week, Bill Scott and Charlie Wing took first swing. Unfortunately the plan did not come off this week and Wing carved Fraser to point with just 2 runs to his name.

Ben Pyke strode out at number 3, a man on a mission to make a score. He did not disappoint and neither did Scott who gradually began to find a fluency which had been absent from his knock against Stokeinteignhead. Fraser’s spin was a superb exhibition of economical bowling as just 12 runs were eked out from his 8 overs. After 13 overs Harberton were 37 for 1.

Denbury’s change bowlers were not as parsimonious as Fraser and it was at this point that the runs began to flow. Scott swivel pulled a mighty six and was also driving through the covers with élan. Pyke seized on anything too full and swatted away loose full tosses as though he was dismissing a sleepy bee in high summer.

Scott reached his first fifty of the summer (and surely not the last) and it looked like a one hundred run stand with Pyke might result. However, with Pyke keen on blasting Harberton to a massive score, he swung and missed at Payne (2 for 37), bowled for 47. Although Alexander (3) soon followed, Buckner showed just how much he is relishing his chance to bat at number 5.

In the final 15 overs Scott went into overdrive and was unusually willing to run hard between the wickets. With Buckner (27) flailing leg side shots and Cook (14) smacking a vast six over deep square leg, Scott had the necessary support. Sadly he fell in the final over for 92 (10 fours, 2 sixes) and showed for the umpteenth time just how vital he is to Harberton. Stibbs finished the innings with a bruising 10 not out and the final score was 216 for 5. Given that the outfield was extremely slow, this was an exceptional tally.

Harberton knew they were going to win by the end of Stibbs’ (4 for 8) fifth and final over. In that time his lively inswing had removed 4 of the top six and another man had committed cricketing suicide by taking on the arm of Elliot Buckner. Three batsmen fell for ducks: Peck caught brilliantly by Pyke at short leg, Costerton lbw on the full and Hickey memorably bowled first ball as he tried to smash a ball into Harbertonford. Denbury were 8 for 5 and their hopes were as bright as night.

Shephard bowled his opening spell immaculately with just one run coming off his five overs. Indeed, he deserved some of the plaudits which inevitably went the way of the Stibbs. Although the duo’s replacements – Cook (2 for 23) and Wing (1 for 13) – had slightly less impressive figures, their wickets accelerated Harberton’s race to the victory line. Once Senior (19) had been bowled round his legs by Wing and was the seventh wicket to fall, any last flicker of resistance was extinguished. Goldsmith (2 for 3) mopped up the tail in style and Denbury had been dismissed for just 50 runs. The margin of victory was thought to be Harberton’s second greatest ever.

Two wins out of two and seven in succession from the end of 2007 mean that Harberton approach next Sunday’s vital Shield Match against Slapton with a sense of confidence. However, the game will represent a step up in class and all of Harberton’s fans are urged to attend this match and vocalise their support. Encouragingly, Tobias appears to have heeded the captain’s stern words regarding his fitness and looked to be in full match conditioning during his innings of 1 not out.