Buckley Cup
Belstone's final cup game against nine-man North Tawton might have been a one-sided affair but there was still considerable tension as to whether they would gain the maximum 15 points needed to ease past Tedburn St Mary at the top of the table.
There was an element of luck about their first wicket as Mellor pulled Bushin powerfully to square leg but stepped on his wicket in the process. After that North Tawton collapsed to 12-6 with Bushin taking 2-4 and Tom Fogerty 3-5, before Steve Paxton and David Brock (6) added 18 for the seventh wicket. Belstone needed to get the visitors all out to gain the all-important maximum bowling points but the overs began to tick away as Paxton and last man Ellis kept the bowlers at bay. Eventually, with just ten balls between Tedburn keeping their lead and Belstone overtaking them Rob Sandercock clean bowled Paxton for 20.
Belstone quickly rattled off the 37 runs required, gained 15 points and thus overtook Tedburn to win the Buckley Cup by a single point, the first time they have won the trophy in eight years.
Buckley Cup P W L Pts
Belstone 12 10 2 153
Tedburn St Mary 12 10 2 152
Spreyton 11 9 2 136
Hatherleigh 11 4 7 91
Sticklepath 12 3 8 90
Yeoford 12 2 10 88
North Tawton 10 1 8 54
North Devon division four
Belstone and Braunton Kelseymen
THE match was washed out at the half-way stage after Belstone had reached 154-9 after their 45 overs. From the start the home team struggled to make progress against an accurate attack on a pitch with a few surprises up its sleeve. After openers Phil Woods and Richard Drake had departed early, pulling long hops straight to fielders, Scott Tremain dug in to play a sheet-anchor role.
With the total mounting at just over two an over he shared stands of 20 with Chris Walpole (8) and 37 with Ryan Dennis (23), before increasing the tempo in stands of 44 with Harry Bushin (25) and 34 with Simon Tremain (3).
Scott shepherded the score from 12-1 in the second over right through until he was eighth out for 69 (with six boundaries) in the 44th over.
The tidiest bowler was Giles Bashford (nine overs for 19 runs) but the most successful was Chris Brigdon (9-2-24-3), who also held three catches.