BELSTONE Cricket Club players joined vice-presidents and friends for their annual dinner and awards evening last Friday at Okehampton Rugby Club.
After enjoying the meal, toasts and speeches by president Peter Hammond, chairman Ian Solomon, fixtures secretary Dennis Edwards and skipper Richard Drake enabled everyone to reflect on another varied season.
With a developing crop of Colts graduating full-time into the senior team and a Rew Meadow ground well maintained by Mike Cornish, the club can also look forward to its tenth season with confidence.
Overall results were: played 36, won 22, lost 11, drawn 2, tied 1 ? the exciting President?s game ? with only three matches lost to the weather. Belstone regained the Buckley Cup, winning seven of their eight games in this evening 20-over-a-side competition, reached the final of the Lancaster Cup and finished in a secure mid-table position in division two of the South Devon League.
Several records were broken during the summer: Edward Jones hit a new highest individual score of 133; he and Dennis Edwards made the highest partnership for any wicket (an opening stand of 204); a total of 340 for two scored in 40 overs against Shaldon in May easily became the new record total for a single innings; and Richard Drake?s 21 catches (four as wicket-keeper) was also a new record, bagging him the Fielding Award. Jones?s season aggregate of 983 runs (average 39.3), which beat his own previous record of 975 runs last year, ensured he retained the Woodman Cup for batsman of the year for the fourth season running.
Other awards: Hammond Bat Centurions were Jones (133) and Edwards (101 not out); Telecare Cup for best overall bowler went for the fourth time to Chris Gomersall for his 17 wickets at an average of 8.4 apiece; Barton best bowling award, Aidan Easterbrook for his figures of 5 for 15 against Clevedon in August; Robert Sandercock?s total haul of 40 wickets won him the best young cricketer cup; Easterbrook and Sandercock also shared the Duck cup for each failing to trouble the scorer on six occasions (another record); Ladies? award, Marion Walpole; good servants trophy, Roger Klenk; clubman of the year, Simon Tremain; and non-playing members? award, Ron Bray.