Friendly President's XI v Belstone A busy week of cricket climaxed on Sunday with the traditional fixture against an XI selected by Peter Hammond, the President of Belstone Cricket Club, which this year was captained by ex-Somerset and England Test player Vic Marks. Belstone's total was built around a third wicket partnership of 84 in 22 overs between Scott Tremain, who played a series of beautifully timed lofted drives and on-side flicks in his 39, and skipper Andrew Paterson who rode his luck with dropped catches to hit four boundaries and two sixes before being stumped for 61 off Cleave Collins. They effectively kept out the spinning guile of Joshi (8-0-15-1) and Marks (4-0-17-2) and the accurate seam-up of Richard Boarder (7-1-35-0) throughout the middle part of the innings, leaving the later batsmen to push the score on at seven an over to give a 40-over lunch-time total of 179 for seven. In reply the President's XI struggled to 49 for four in 15 overs with opening bowlers Jonathan Parsons (8- 1-22-1) and Harry Bushin (8-1-27-1) once again among the wickets. The match began to swing the President's way as the fifth wicket pair of Johnny Coburn and Boarder gradually took charge, Coburn taking four fours off successive balls from Luke Wonnacott and Boarder driving powerfully through the covers. The partnership had added 98 before Boarder edged to Edwards in the slips and was out for 40. Crucially dropped just after he reached 50 Coburn continued to make batting look easy before he was finally out caught at long-on for 72, with ten fours and two sixes, leaving the President's needing just seven to win from 16 balls. In mounting excitement the next nine balls from Paterson and Dennis Edwards were dot-balls and the final over began with four still needed. A limping Joshi ran a single, Marks scrambled a couple to bring the scores level before being clean bowled by Paterson and the match was won with another short single off the fifth ball, to give the Presidents XI their first win in this annual encounter since 2003. Buckley Cup Belstone v North Tawton BELSTONE maintained their unbeaten record against North Tawton in the Buckley Cup last week with a relatively comfortable 32 run win. Batting first they were indebted to skipper Phil Woods and Wayne Pearce for pushing the score along at five-an-over until they both had to retire on 25 - this after two early wickets had fallen to Jake Ayris (4-0-18-2). None of the other batsmen contributed much against an economical spell from Simon Gillespie (4-1-7-2) and principal wicket-taker Matt Weekes (4-0-36-3), but with a significant helping of 25 extras in the 20 over total Belstone finally reached 107 for seven. The North Tawton reply never took flight with Harry Bushin (4-0-12-20 and Corin Russell (4-0-20-4) both taking two wickets in consecutive balls and the other bowlers chipping in equally effectively. A seventh wicket partnership between Weekes (15 not out) and Rory Honeychurch (11) briefly threatened before Russell, Phil Dennis and Buster Francis mopped up the tail. Buckley Cup Belstone v Tedburn St Mary Top-of-the-table Tedburn St Mary visited Rew Meadow last Thursday for another Buckley Cup game which boiled up in the drizzle and dark to the closest possible finish with the visitors needing nine to win off the last over. Earlier Belstone made a good start reaching 50 at the half way 10-over stage with nine wickets still in hand, thanks to Richard Drake (eventually last out for 35), Dennis Edwards (15) and Phil Woods (18). The middle order failed to increase the tempo with wickets falling steadily to the pace of Simon Fathers (4-0-15-4), and with the left-arm spin of Neil Branton (4-0-10-1) tying up the other end the final score of 97 all out looked to be well within Tedburn's capabilities. Branton got their reply off to a solid start with three crisply hit boundaries before he was well caught for 17 by keeper Drake, standing up to Jonathan Parsons, who completed a double-wicket maiden in his third over. The other opener Russell Crang played steadily before being run out also for 17, but after the tenth over the initiative swung back to Belstone with only 12 runs coming from the next six overs as Colt Thomas Boother (4-1-15-1) and Andrew Paterson (4-1-8-1) tied the batsmen down, leaving Tedburn needing an unlikely 34 from the last four overs. However, Peter Rich (14) and Alex Williams (16 not out) had other ideas, defying the gloomy conditions to take runs off almost every ball until Colt Henry Holmes began that last over. By the final ball two were needed - Williams pulled it through midwicket towards boundary fielder Woods who couldn't see it in the dark; the two runs were taken and Tedburn had snatched a thrilling four wicket win to maintain their unbeaten position at the top of the Buckley table.
