BELSTONE began their home fixtures with an emphatic 106-run victory over Old Suttonians at Rew Meadow on Sunday.
They got off to a solid start thanks to an opening partnership of 78 in 20 overs between Colin Wyatt (48) and Dennis Edwards (43).
They defended well against Suttonian?s best bowler Loze, whose opening spell of five overs cost just nine runs, while picking up runs steadily at the other end.
The partnership was only marred by an accident to Chris Spinks, the Belstone player making up the numbers for Suttonians, who suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder diving for the ball at midwicket.
Wayne Pearce (24) and skipper Richard Drake (39) picked up the tempo in the second half of the innings with three big sixes between them to give Belstone a useful total of 186 for six after their 40 overs.
The old adage of ?catches win matches? came to mind whe Old Suttonians came to bat. Openers Loze and Taylor were untroubled in taking the score to 38 off 11 overs until Loze whipped a ball from Wyatt off his legs behind square leg, only to find it scooped up at ankle height by Pearce.
Turner (11) and Taylor continued to build the innings until Terry Jeal induced a top edge which ballooned off Taylor?s bat into the vacant silly mid on area, whereupon keeper Phil Woods made acres of ground to take a diving catch.
This brought a collapse as the last seven wickets fell for just 19 runs thanks to two more fine catches - a leaping one-handed effort at midwicket by Drake and a well-judged skier at mid on by Wyatt - and penetrating bowling from Chris Gomersall (6-3-7-3), Jeal (7-1-13-3) and Barry Down (2-0-8-2).
Another friendly for Belstone this Sunday when Hatherleigh visit Rew Meadow, with a 2pm start.