THERE is more to any game of cricket than simply turning up and playing on the day. Stoke's success in recent seasons has been built on a team of passionate volunteers and sponsors and Bank Holiday Monday saw a 30-over match played to recognise their efforts and raise important club funds.

A Stoke XI took on a Sponsors XI captained by Duncan Howorth of main club and shirt sponsors JLT Benefit Solutions. The guests' XI included current Essex and former Zimbabwe Test player Grant Flower, former Essex captain Paul Prichard and Queensland U19 batsman Mark Nicol.

After choosing to bat, Turner hit 17 before cutting a delivery from Adrian Mills to Rob Davis. That brought Flower to the crease and his class was there for all to see. In partnership with the equally impressive Nicol, they added 139 for the second wicket in rapid time before Nicol retired unbeaten on 76, to give opportunities to others.

Prichard was run out for just two, but Flower continued to accumulate runs at the effective rate before retiring on 72 having hit seven fours and five sixes.

Howorth hooked two boundaries in his cameo of 11. His departure started a mini-collapse as all the fielders were given a bowl by Stoke captain Jack Raimondo and shared wickets to close on 193-7.

In reply, Tom Frost got the scoreboard moving early but cut Josh Howe's second ball to Andrew Howorth after making 16. Richie Parrett collected the wicket of James Trower when Duncan Howorth pulled off a leg-side stumping giving square leg umpire Ollie Trower the easiest and most satisfying of decisions.

Parrett also bowled Stoke Ladies batter Sophie Pout to end with figures of 2-7. All-time Stoke leading wicket-taker Roy Johns bowled a tidy five-over spell taking 1-19.

Leatherhead overseas player David Bonellie launched a counter attack, hitting sixes into the car park and demolishing the rear windscreen of a customer of the Olde Plough who might think better of using the cricket ground as the overflow car park.

Bonellie and Davis (20) moved the total towards the 100-mark before they both fell to Adam Cooke. Bonellie hit an even 50 from 48 balls faced with three fours and four sixes.

Both Cooke's wickets were catches from Flower, who later took the wickets of Raimondo (36) and Andy Page (8), with his left arm spin.

Accurate death bowling from Turner left Surrey CCC Ladies' first XI player Amy Page (13no) and Ian Hopton (13no) just too much to do, and the innings closed on 180-8.