Buckley Cup Spreyton v Belstone SPREYTON extended their lead at the top of the Buckley Cup with a resounding seven wicket win over Belstone. Most of the Belstone batsmen failed to get to grips with the pace of the pitch, several lobbing catches to the in-field by playing too late. Scott Evans began the rot with the first three wickets (4-0-11-3) while Ranking (4-0-8-0) also kept things tight at the other end, so that by the end of eight overs the score was only 19 for three. A few sixes and boundaries from Andrew Paterson, Chris Gomersall and Colin Tucker briefly lifted the Belstone gloom but by the end of the 20 overs they could only reach 59 for eight. Gomersall (3.2-1-13-1) and Neil Rowlands (3-0-13-2) made Spreyton work hard for their runs but thanks mainly to Steve Wright (26 retired) they reached their target with over seven overs to spare.

Buckley Cup Belstone v Yeoford TWO evenings later Belstone bounced back in the Buckley with a convincing win against Yeoford. Phil Woods (26 retired), Neil Rowlands (22 retired) and Gary Sizmur (21) got them off to a good start with 58 on the board by the half-way stage. Pete Johnson accounted for the middle order with four wickets for 20 before Dave Pethybridge (13) and George Hall (11) got the run rate back up to six an over as the home team finished on 120 for six. Spreyton opener Phil Dennis hit a rapid 14 but after his dismissal no-one else reached double figures as George and Robert Hall bowled testing four-over spells of two for seven and four for 12 respectively. Chris Gomersall wound things up with a devastating burst of four wickets for five runs to leave Yeoford 71 runs short.

South Devon League division two match Raleigh v Belstone LAST Sunday Belstone travelled to the fast outfields of the Devon County Ground at Exmouth for a South Devon League Division Two match against Raleigh. For three quarters of the time they were on top but disastrously went from needing only 40 to win with seven wickets standing and ten overs remaining to being beaten by 13 runs, leaving them languishing in the relegation zone. The game could not have begun better for the visitors as Jonathan Parsons bowled Rob Lowe with the first ball of the innings and Andrew Paterson ran out Matt Sampson (15) with a direct hit from mid-on. Andrew Buzza then hit seven stylish boundaries in quick time before Rob Hall bowled him around his legs for 30 with the score on 60 for three. Parsons (9-1-37-4) grabbed another first baller when he bowled Loman for a duck as the Raleigh middle order collapsed against the accurate attack of George Hall (5-0-7-0) and Neil Rowlands (7-2-25-3). It was left to Mark Davies (34) and Denny Loman (17) to put together a useful ninth wicket stand but with the innings ending on 139 all out with over four of the 40 overs unused, Belstone could feel well satisfied with their performance in the field. Things looked even better as Wayne Pearce (17) stroked four boundaries in Loman?s first two overs. Skipper Paterson (23) also played positively to put Belstone well ahead of the asking rate. However, pressure began to build as Sampson, Buzza, McNulty and Hart all began to bowl an excellent line and length so that ten of the middle twenty overs were maidens. Although opener Phil Woods played an effective anchor role at one end until he was sixth out for 30 with the score on 112, wickets were by then falling rapidly. Belstone collapsed from 100 for three to 126 for nine over the last ten overs and handed the match to Raleigh. South Devon League division two P W L NR Pts Brixham 11 5 1 5 98 Shaldon 12 4 4 4 78 Raleigh 10 5 3 2 77 Torquay 9 4 2 3 76 S Devon 10 3 4 3 67 Belstone 10 2 4 4 59 Exeter 10 1 6 3 43