BELSTONE maintained their challenge for top spot in division 2 of the South Devon League with a 75-run victory over Raleigh last Sunday.
Put in to bat by the home side, Belstone?s opening pair of Eddie Jones and Pete Gross made another solid start, reaching 45 before Gross was out for 15 in the seventh over.
Jones was second out for 54 with the score on 81, his eighth knock of over 50 this season. With Cannor and Hart then picking up six quick wickets, the score subsided from 106 for three to 118 for eight in the space of four overs, leaving Belstone in danger of being all out well inside their 40 overs.
Simon Tremain (24 not out) and Rob Sandercock (19) then put on 32 valuable runs in ten overs to bring the total to 168 for nine off the full allocation.
L Elston (52) played well in Raleigh?s reply but with no-one else reaching double figures they were all out for 93 in 32 overs, Jones being the pick of the bowlers with four for 13.
The following day Ashtead arrived at Rew Meadow for their fourth annual visit and in a low-scoring game played in persistent drizzle Belstone recorded their first win over the team from Surrey. Even though half a dozen half-chances went down in the early part of the Ashtead innings they never got on top of some accurate Belstone bowling, only seven boundaries being scored in their 37.5 over total of 110 all out.
All the bowlers got among the wickets while wicket-keeper Douglas top-scored for Ashtead with 26. Belstone found it equally hard going when they came to bat with only Wayne Pearce, with three fours and a six in his 21 runs, threatening to take control.
All the Ashtead bowlers maintained a nagging length, with the slow left-arm of Dearnsley picking up three for 21 in the middle order.
Phil Woods, with an elegant 25, kept the score ticking over at the required three an over, but the whole Belstone innings was held together by the careful batting of Pete Gross, who carried his bat throughout the 37.4 over innings for 27 perfectly-paced runs.