CALYPSO cricket and plenty of laughs was the abiding memory of Chudleigh CC's 150th anniversary Exiles Day at Kate Brook.
The anniversary committee started contacting Chudleigh old boys more than two years ago in the hope of attracting them back for a massive reunion.
They came in their droves from as far away as Birmingham, Leicester and London to either take part in the Twenty20 tournament that was part of the celebrations, or catch up with old friends.
Organiser Richard Lappas said with people coming and going all day it was hard to be sure how many turned up for the event.
'It was somewhere between 350 and 400, with reunions going on in every corner of the ground,' said Lappas.
'The "greatest reunion of them all" was one comment I heard – and I wouldn't argue with that!
'The highlights of the day were the attendance, the weather and the support of the hundreds who turned up to watch a cricket spectacular.
'They witnessed a festival of cricket fit to grace any Twenty20 tournament in the country.'
Chudleigh Exiles, a team skippered by Alphington captain Stuart Shaw, beat the Crusaders in the final by seven runs.
Man of the match in the final was veteran seam bowler Ray Maunder, who had two wickets for 12 runs in his 12 overs.
The Exiles defeated the Wrinkleys by 73 runs in the first semi-final, while the Crusaders were four-run winners over Chudleigh Babes.
Not everyone who intended to play actually got their kit on – and not all who did made it to the finish.
Sky TV sports reporter Pete Barraclough, a Chudleigh regular around 20 years ago, was a frustrated spectator having suffered an injury the day before.
Helping son Sam get a side out for a friendly in the South Hams, Barraclough tore a hamstring when he came on to bowl.
'I did say that two games in two days might be too much, but I could not let him down,' said Barraclough.
'No sooner than I had started my first over, my hamstring went like a good un and the following day I could not walk.'
Barraclough made the trip up from his home near Kingsbridge to join the celebrations as a non-combatant!
'Pete spent several hours at the ground, despite his obvious pain, and his gesture was much appreciated,' said Lappas.
Paul Boothroyd, of the Golden Oldies, who travelled down from Halesowen, near Worcester to play, ended up in hospital after being hit on the head by a ball.
'Trying to take a vital catch off his own bowling, the ball spun into Paul's head, split it open and ricocheted 70 yards into the hands of fielder Ian Cameron, who caught it a foot from the boundary,' claimed Lappas.
'Paul had seven stitches put in at hospital in Exeter and was back at the ground a couple of hours later.'