AS part of the Walkhampton Flower Show and Fun Day, Walkham Valley entertained Oddballs from Plymstock on a slightly overcast Saturday afternoon.

Oddballs batted first and Ridgeway produced some forceful offside shots but soon lost partner Denney to a good catch at extra cover by Sandy Ralph off James Vincent.

Phillips was then clean bowled by Richard Berry for a duck to bring in Earl, who helped Ridgeway resurrect the crumbling innings with some aggressive shots particularly on the leg side.

Ridgeway?s classy innings was brought to an end by another first class diving catch by Ralph off Alistair Peers? bowling.

Earl continued to resist and accumulate runs whilst all about him were perishing as Walkham?s bowling and energetic fielding took their toll.

Peers accounted for two more, bowling Stones and Ming with successive balls, but failed to achieve the hat trick.

Paul Gibbings and Ken Kay then mopped up the tail, Earl finally falling to a good catch in the deep by Graham Vincent off Kay?s cunningly concealed slower ball for 24 invaluable runs, and then Hewitt departed quickly, this time caught by R Berry off Kay.

Pomoroy was out bizarrely chasing a wide from Gibbings which he somehow made contact with, only to see James Hills pluck a remarkable catch out of the air at gully.

The golden arm of Gibbings then accounted for Johns and Haynes, the latter well taken by Tim Baxter at mid-off, to leave Oddballs all out for a surprisingly low score of 82.

In a generally very good bowling performance by the Valley team, honours went to Peers with 3 for 5, Gibbings, 3 for 8 and Kay, 2 for 12.

All was set up then for Walkham Valley to show what they were made of.

With the score on 20 for no wickets after two overs, James Hills having hit three consecutive fours off Johns, Walkham?s house seemed to be in order.

Hills was then bowled by Haynes, and R Berry followed immediately after, splendidly caught at deep backward square leg.

James Vincent, Sandy Ralph and Tim Baxter joined the procession cheaply as the Oddballs bowling and fielding reduced Walkham?s batting fortress to a house of straw, Haynes and Ridgeway using the conditions extremely well.

Peers then began the resistance with a couple of well struck fours through the covers before falling LBW to Phillips for 11.

Then J Berry and Graham Vincent slowly began to restore the situation before Berry was caught at the wicket off Denney for 10, and Vincent?s stubborn knock was terminated when he was caught in the deep for 11 by his offspring James, fielding as substitute.

With 15 runs required from the tail, and plenty of overs to spare, the task proved too much as Ken Kay was eventually bowled by Stones for 2, leaving Kevin Baxter undefeated on 2, and Walkam 12 short, having recorded their lowest score of the season.

There is no doubt that Oddballs? ability to bowl to their fielding strengths won them the day, but uncharacteristic batting fragility by Walkham also played its part.