Super shot: Bretforton's Brett Woods square cuts towards the boundary.
THE opening Saturday of the 2008 Cotswold Hills League campaign brought sunshine, showers and smiles on the faces of the triumphant teams.
Smiles will have been broadest at Bretforton where the reigning champions looked on course for a first match defeat when Overbury skittled them out for 134.
However, last season's title winners hit back with the ball to dismiss the visitors for 94.
Last season's runners-up Exhall and Wixford made light work of promoted Henley-in-Arden who lost by seven wickets having been bowled out for 129.
However, the other promoted side, Kineton, started life in the Premier Division with a five-wicket success at Earlswood.
The afternoon's most thrilling finish came at Tanworth where Wellesbourne's last pair were at the crease when the winning boundary was struck in pursuit of the home side's 119.
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Keenness
Stratford Bards showed their keenness to improve on last year's third place finish when they rattled up the section's highest score of 212-6 before dismissing Shipston for 145.
There were mixed fortunes for the two clubs who lost top flight status last season with Moreton-in-Marsh defeating Norton Lindsey by 33 runs but Alcester and Ragley losing by 29 runs at Catherine-de-Barnes.
On his way: Overbury's players celebrate a wicket.
The top two sides in the second division last year locked horns and it was runners-up Stratford who were victorious after a 33-run win at home to Leamington.
Bidford's total of 144 didn't prove a tough task for four-wicket victors Elmley Castle but Ashton made a bold bid to overhaul Broadway's 196 but fell three runs short of victory with their penultimate pair at the wicket.
Relegated last term, the opening day brought further misery for Ebrington and Winchcombe who lost to Chipping Campden and Shipston respectively.
The two promoted sides had differing fortunes with Temple Grafton edging out Long Itchington by two runs while FISSC lost by 39 runs at Warwick CC Staff.
Rowington, who missed out on promotion by two points in 2007, started off in fine style with a seven-wicket win at home to Ashorne.
Reigning Division Four champions Cookhill lost out by five wickets to visitors Exhall and Wixford, while their closest rivals last time around, Blockley, defeated Fladbury by 45 runs.
Matt Mitchell (64) and Rob Sipthorp (48) built Blockley a solid platform as they reached 229-8 with Simon Vick's unbeaten 27 adding crucial late runs.
Despite losing Steve Guy for a duck, the hosts appeared set for victory when Owen Donovan (42) and Colin Cole (52) were together but Vick's introduction was the turning point as the all-rounder completed a profitable match by claiming five wickets for just seven runs as Fladbury were dismissed for 184.
Overbury used only three batters in seeing off Great Alne by nine wickets, while there were wins elsewhere in Division Three for Wellesbourne and Woodbourne.
Relegated Stanway and promoted Bretforton both comfortably passed the 200-run mark in easy fourth division wins over Tanworth and Norton Lindsey respectively.
Alcester and Ragley defeated Winchcombe, Harvington's Andrew Knowles took 6-21 in a three-wicket win at at Dorridge and Hockley Heath, while the game between Bearley and Earlswood was the afternoon's solitary casualty.
Newcomers Leek Wootton won easily at Henley on their Division Five debut, while fellow new boys The Lenches didn't lose a wicket in overhauling Moreton's total of 94-9.
Alvechurch were another club to have no opening day alarms as they easily got the better of Stratford Bards, while Ashton defeated Rowington by five wickets.
Catherine-de-Barnes rattled up the day's highest score when setting Earlswood 263 for victory with the visitors making a brave effort before being dismissed for 167.
Harvington won by five wickets at home to Dorridge and HH, Bidford had 14 runs in hand on visitors Kenilworth, while 20 runs was the difference between the teams when winners welford played host to Broadway.
There were huge celebrations at Exhall after the club recorded a winning hat-trick after the third team's five-wicket success at Mickleton.
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