Buckley Cup

Belstone v Yeoford

BELSTONE made it three wins out of four in the Twenty20 Buckley Cup with a thorough 66-run demolition of visitors Yeoford. After four sedate overs of the Belstone innings Richard Drake hit the accelerator taking four boundaries and a six off Tom Mistlebrook's only over to push the score to 38 off five.

Under the competition rules this also brought about Drake's retirement on 28, a pattern repeated by the next three batsmen Scott Tremain, Sam Ewen and Phil Woods who variously stroked or thumped the ball in all directions to also retire on 25, 26 and 30 respectively.

With several catches going down the Yeoford bowlers bowled their 20 overs without getting a wicket, the only Belstone scalp being the run out of Jimmy Ewen for eight.

Tidy spells from Matthew Leach and Craig Stanbury (both 4-0-18-0) couldn't prevent Belstone from finishing on one of their highest scores of the 14-year competition, 145-1.

Things went from bad to worse for Yeoford as both openers went for ducks; Tom Courtney edging Luke Wonnacott (4-2-16-1) to Jimmy Ewen at slip and Guy Cochrane guiding a full pitch loosener from Harry Bushin (4-0-15-1) straight to Scott Tremain at mid on. Cleave Collins (13) and Matthew Leach (8) restored some respectibility with a partnership of 41 but there was no chance of Yeoford getting close especially as Rob Sandercock chipped in with four overs for only nine runs. The only blemish on the Belstone performance was the extras - 36 out of 79-6, to make them by far Yeoford's top score.

Friendly

Belstone v Stansted Park

LAST Saturday Hampshire tourists Stansted Park played Belstone in a 36-over match. In the corresponding fixture last year Justin Brown scored an unbeaten 101 for the visitors and once again he was the dominant batsman, scoring an elegant 82 in 119 minutes before being brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Michael Gal with the score on 148 in the 31st over. Solid support had come from Andy Lamnea (18), Hugh Pollard (17) and Gary Rogers, who had raced to 18 when he was out to a superb left-handed diving catch at short cover by Wayne Pearce off Tom Pengelly.

Ian Graham scored a useful 21 not out towards the close to take the total up to 180-8 while the ever-green Dennis Edwards picked up two late wickets and effected a run out.

In reply Belstone made a cautious start so at the half way stage they had only scored 62 runs and thus were well behind the asking rate, with Pete Clutterbuck (7-2-16-0) and John Falconer (7-2-23-1) keeping things tight.

They gradually began to accelerate with Steve Henwood (guesting from the Stansted squad) started the charge with seven boundaries in his 47, sharing in an 89-run partnership for the second wicket with opener Chris Walpole.

With ten overs left Walpole found his touch, and with Edwards also playing forcefully they added another 58 for the third wicket in nine overs before Edwards was run out going for a very short single for 26.

34 were still needed from 26 balls, but with Walpole (65 not out) now swinging at everything and new batsman Gal (19 not out) striking the ball cleanly to the leg-side boundary from the outset, this target was reached with nine balls to spare to give Belstone a seven wicket victory.

North Devon League division four

Belstone v Bratton Fleming

BELSTONE made it three wins out of six in the league when they overcame Bratton Fleming by five wickets last Sunday.

Put in to bat by skipper Phil Woods, Bratton Fleming struggled through the first 24 overs to reach 59 for five with opening bowlers Jonathan Parsons (9-1-16-1) and Harry Bushin (9-1-20-3) proving to be a handful. However, when S Ayre was out for a useful 26 to make it 75 -6, Thomas launched a ferocious counter-attack which took him to a half century in just 26 balls with seven boundaries and 2 sixes.

David Binns (6-2-37-4) mopped up the tail in short order to leave the home side all out for 143 with ten of their 45 overs unused.

Belstone's reply was always ahead of the modest asking rate but they needed a steady innings from Sam Ewen to keep one end secure after the other three at the top of the order were all out not long after reaching double figures.

Ewen was fifth out for 36 with the score on 93, the fourth victim of a fine spell from Hunt (7-2-23-4), but from then on Belstone cruised home thanks to undefeated innings of 16 from Simon Tremain and 35 from Bushin.