BELSTONE travelled to Tedburn St Mary for a Buckley Cup evening fixture on June 29. Batting first they started at five runs an over and continued to score freely to reach 120 for seven after their 20 overs, with good contributions from all the middle order, in particular Richard Drake (26 retired) and Chris Walpole (22).

Dines kept things quiet at one end returning the best figures of two wickets for eight runs. This was Belstone?s sixteenth highest 20 over score in eleven seasons and would normally have been a match winning one but Tedburn had other ideas.

They recovered swiftly from losing a wicket to the fourth ball of the innings with S Fathers and Rich hitting ten fours between them before they both retired to leave Neil Branton (23 not out) to continue the assault. Lapses in the field and too many wides (17) cost Belstone dear as Tedburn reached their target in comfort with 17 balls to spare.

Two weeks ago Yeoford beat Belstone in a low scoring Buckley Cup thriller with a six off the last but one ball. In the return game last Thursday the tables were turned in an equally nail biting match as Belstone hit the winning runs with three balls to spare. An evening of fluctuating fortunes began with Yeoford struggling at 15 for four after six overs thanks to incisive bowling from Jonathan Parsons (4-2-9-2) and Rob Sandercock (4-1-9-2). A spirited recovery then followed from Shaun Richardson (28 retired) and Cleave Collins (25 retired), helped by another bout of Belstone dropped catches, which took the 20 over total to a respectable 95 for six.

Solid middle order batting from Richard Drake (23), Dennis Edwards (24) and Chris Walpole (24 not out) kept Belstone up with the rate until Andy Coren began his first and Yeoford?s 18th over. Six balls later the score had declined from 82 for three to 82 for six and the pressure was back on the batting side, with 14 needed from 12 balls. Ten came from the next over, leaving Parsons to stroke the winning runs over mid off.

Belstone visited Dunsford on Saturday for a South Devon League game. In a low scoring match the home side were victorious by 32 runs. Belstone won the toss and elected to bowl first in overcast conditions.

Rob Sandercock and Jonathan Parsons both bowled well for the visitors as Dunsford struggled on a pitch with variable bounce. Wickets fell regularly with none of Dunsford?s batsmen going on to post a big score. Belstone bowled and fielded well with outstanding catches being held by Gary Sizmur and Sandercock in the outfield. At the end of their 40 overs Dunsford had posted a competitive total of 146.

Belstone were always struggling in their reply. After 14 overs the visitors had slumped to 24 for four against some tight bowling and fine fielding by the home side. Richard Drake (48) and Simon Tremain led a recovery with a partnership of 39 for the fifth wicket. After Tremain was out, Jonathan Parsons and Drake took the score to 99 until Drake was out stumped. The remaining batsmen struggled to maintain the required run rate and Belstone were finally dismissed for 114. At the season?s half way stage Belstone now have plenty of work to do to avoid relegation in the League, having so far won just one of the six League games played.

The following day a full strength Belstone side entertained a Whitchurch team made up of nine Under-15?s and two adults. The youngsters acquitted themselves well, all showing the benefit of coaching as they played straight down the line with the bat and stuck to their task in the field in the face of a powerful onslaught from Belstone opener Harry Bushin.

Bushin dominated the Belstone innings of 254 for seven in 40 overs, hitting 18 fours and 5 sixes in his first century for the club, finally reaching 143, the second highest individual score ever recorded by a Belstone player. He received solid support from Wayne Pearce, who made 37 out of a match winning third wicket partnership of 163 in 19 overs. Jack Newton was the best of the Whitchurch bowlers, picking up four wickets. In reply the Whitchurch Under-15?s ran well between the wickets and played some elegant ground strokes but it was their adult skipper Pedrick who ensured their total reached respectability (129 all out) by contributing a lusty half century as all the Belstone bowlers chipped in with wickets.

Buckley Cup table (to 1.7.04)

Teams P W L Pts

Belstone 5 3 2 39

Tedburn St Mary 3 2 1 30

Yeoford 3 2 1 30

Spreyton 3 1 2 23

Sticklepath 2 0 2 7