BELSTONE travelled to Harberton last Sunday for their final game of the season. Their innings began very cautiously. Only four scoring strokes came in the first 13 overs. By the latter stages of the innings the run rate had picked up to a still modest three an over thanks to Richard Drake, whose 43 included 5 fours, and Chris Gomersall, who also hit five boundaries in his 30. Aidan Easterbrook chipped in with a quick 15. The innings stuttered to a close on 123 all out with three balls of the 40 overs remaining. In reply Harberton could afford to take their time. Easterbrook worked up a fiery pace, conceding just nine runs from his eight overs, finally gaining a well-deserved wicket when Christian Larder (19) chopped the ball onto his stumps. Jonathan Parsons and Andrew Paterson kept up the pressure at the other end with a wicket apiece, to finish the season all square on 39 victims each. Opener Bill Scott held the innings together, carrying his bat for 45 not out and eventually seeing Harberton to victory with three overs to spare. Belstone man-of-the-match: Richard Drake. l The calculators have been busy recently trying to work out who has secured the second promotion spot to Division One of the South Devon League. Exeter and Belstone finished their twelve games tied in second place with 91 points each. Both teams won seven of their games, and both took the same number of points in the games played against each other. The rulebook?s final means of resolving such a situation is to work out who has the higher run-rate over the twelve games. Subject to official confirmation this has given Exeter?s run rate as 5.1 per over and Belstone?s as 4.3 per over, Exeter thus gaining promotion.

South Devon League Division Two Team P W L T D Pts Paignton 12 9 1 1 1 116 Exeter 12 7 4 0 1 91 Belstone 12 7 5 0 0 91 Torquay 12 7 3 0 2 77 Buckfastleigh 11 4 5 1 1 64 Ashburton 12 1 6 0 2 39 Dawlish & T?mouth 11 1 9 0 1 22