NOT for the first time this season Belstone threw away a match-winning position in their penultimate game of the season against Dartington by losing nine wickets for 57 runs after having been comfortably placed in a run chase at 67 for one. Earlier Dartington had lost both openers cheaply as they flashed at wide balls from Harry Bushin. James Palmer made 30 quick runs before he was bowled by Scott Tremain to make the score 36 for four. From then on the visitors played very cautiously with Chris Gomersall and Chris Walsh bowling 13 overs between them in the middle of the innings for only 24 runs. Steve Rew (29) and Harold Stevenson (21) were the main contributors with the bat, Stevenson eventually falling to the catch of the season by Wayne Pearce. Needing a modest 135 to win in their 40 overs Belstone looked to be cruising as they reached half that by the 14th over. The introduction of accurate leg spin pinned down the Belstone middle order but it took two bizarre run outs to really turn the game after Chris Walpole (16) and Graham Woods (16) had taken the score to 109 for five. First, three batsmen (one a runner) were stuck at one end for five minutes while umpire Sam Dodsworth ruled on who was out; second, Rob Hall was dispatched when he was dropped by bowler Jack Allen who in the process touched the ball onto the stumps with Hall out of his ground. All this meant that the last five wickets fell for 15 runs with Allen literally having a hand in all of them (three for 21 and both run outs) to give Dartington an unexpected 10 run victory. This Saturday there is a car boot sale at Belstone?s ground with public admission from 10am. The last game of the season is on Sunday at 1.45pm, when Harberton are the visitors.
