BELSTONE Cricket Club were awarded £648 from the locality budget of Devon County Councillor Kevin Ball, who represents the Okehampton Rural area. 

Each councillor has an annual Locality Budget of £10,000 to support projects or activities that benefit the communities in their area and this award was used by the cricketers to buy a 'lay flat pitch cover' which protects the entire playing pitch and bowlers run-ups.

The new covers came into their own on President's Day.

Club Secretary Chris Walpole said: 'We've had the covers all season but haven't needed to use them.  Then just as the President's match — the social event of the summer — was due to start the heavens opened.  We rushed the covers on, watched half an hour's downpour, removed them to find a still dry pitch underneath, waited a bit for the outfield to dry, then had a very close entertaining 20-over game.  Without the covers the match would never have been played at all.'