THE sun-drenched Chagford ground was the setting last Friday for the Lancaster Trophy final between Chagford — last year's winners —and Belstone.

With West Devon mayor Cllr Richard Phillips and other keen supporters in attendance the game reached the halfway stage finely balanced before tipping dramatically in Chagford's favour thanks to the bowling magic of Mike Wreford.

Put into bat by Belstone skipper Richard Drake, Chagford started steadily reaching 57 for one after 10 overs with Del Owen playing a sheet anchor role (16 runs in an hour) and Len Conradie (22) driving powerfully through the covers.

Instead of the anticipated acceleration Chagford then lost their next nine wickets for another 42 runs thanks to tidy bowling and sharp fielding, finishing on 99 all out with four balls of their 20 overs unused. Terry Jeal (3-20), Eddie Jones (2-15 and a run out) and Chris Walsh, who mopped up the tail with three wickets in eight balls, were especially effective.

Mike Wreford — perhaps stung by his first ball dismissal — opened the Chagford attack and within three balls Belstone had lost two wickets. Another two wickets followed in Wreford's third over and, with cries of 'evergreen' ringing round the ground he finished with man-of-the-match figures of five wickets for nine runs from his four overs.

With Dennis Edwards run out at the other end for the fourth time this season there was no way back for Belstone who subsided to 32 all out inside ten overs, leaving Chagford the deserving trophy winners.