BELSTONE narrowed the gap at the top of the Buckley Cup to just two points after a seven wicket victory over leaders Tedburn St Mary last Wednesday. Aidan Easterbrook began proceedings with five wickets in a devastating spell of accurate pace that ripped through the top Tedburn order leaving them reeling on 16 for six after just six overs. By the ten over half way stage the last Tedburn pair were at the wicket, still with only 47 runs on the board and heavy defeat looming. A remarkable unbroken tenth wicket stand of 54 then began as Ross Crang (29 not out) and Alex Williams (21 not out) steadied the innings. They successfully punished the bad balls and, helped by a rash of wides (29 out of extras top scoring total of 34), ensured a respectable final total for Tedburn of 101 for nine. In reply Belstone got off to a good start with Richard Drake scoring a run-a-minute 25 before retiring. They were always ahead of the asking rate and finished the match in style with an unbroken partnership of 43 in 30 minutes between Phil Woods (21 not out) and Wayne Pearce (16 not out). Yeovil College visited Rew Meadow on Saturday for a friendly which ended in a comfortable eight wicket win for Belstone. Fourteen year old Scott Tremain began a fine all-round display by trapping Pouter leg before off the first ball of the game. He finished with four wickets as the top Yeovil order fell apart, leaving Sodo (21), Ryall (26) and Tucker (19 not out) to take the total to 120 by tea ? with extras top scoring for the second match running. Belstone knocked off the runs with 13 overs to spare thanks to a pugnacious half century from Dennis Edwards and 27 elegant runs from Tremain. Belstone travelled to Buckfastleigh on Sunday for a keenly contested match in the South Devon League. Last weekend Buckfastleigh amassed 277 for one wicket in 40 overs against local rivals Ashburton but this time they found batting harder against a Belstone side who put in a disciplined and enthusiastic performance in the field. Opening bowler Jonathan Parsons set the tone with a pitch perfect nine overs of line and length medium pace which deservedly netted three wickets, including the dangerous Will Sykes, caught in the slips by Edwards for 25. First change bowlers Richard Drake and Andrew Paterson kept up the pressure, conceding less than three runs an over from their collective 18 overs. Declan Schroeder, who batted 94 minutes for his 49, held the innings together before being clean bowled by Drake just as he threatened to hit the accelerator. Needing just under four runs an over for victory, Belstone began badly when Edwards was taken at slip by Sykes for a duck. A period of watchful play followed as Blake bowled a very economical spell, conceding just 12 runs from his nine overs, with Belstone creeping up to 43 for one after 19 overs. Wayne Pearce then began to attack the slow bowling of Schroeder, pulling him to the leg side boundary, while Drake opened up on the off side. The stand had reached 82 in 75 minutes before Pearce fell for 37 to a diving catch by bowler Sykes. Drake reached his half century in 93 minutes but tension began to mount as the overs slipped away and opening paceman Draper returned to the attack. Drake fell for 60 during a wicket maiden from Sykes and the following 38th over only yielded a single as the match hung on a knife edge, with Belstone needing eleven runs from the last two overs and then seven off the last. Paterson proved the man for the occasion by hitting the first two balls of the last over to the boundary to clinch a win for the visitors. Belstone man-of-the-match: Richard Drake. Buckley Cup Table Team P W L Pts Tedburn 4 3 1 41 Belstone 4 3 1 39 Yeoford 3 2 1 28 Spreyton 2 0 2 13 Sticklepath 3 0 3 12