North Devon two Bratton Fleming v Belstone BELSTONE came away from their long trip to second-placed Bratton Fleming with a well-disciplined performance that was rewarded with a 71-run victory which consolidated their position at the top of the league. Asked to bat first on a greenish wicket with some irregular bounce, Phil Woods and Scott Tremain got the visitors off to a steady start with a partnership of 59 in 14 overs before Woods pulled a Kurtis Parkin long hop straight to midwicket and was out for 16. Jack Hatton took the score on to 101 before he drilled another loose ball straight to Robert Scoines to be out for a run-a-minute 17. Tremain then became the third batsman to unerringly find a fielder with a well-timed but uppish shot as Scoines caught him off Stevie Kingdom for 47, which included eight fours. Kingdom (9-3-28-3) bowled well to stop the Belstone momentum in mid innings but Matt Dennis, supported by Richard Drake (20) and Ryan Dennis (19) and helped by 30 leg-side wides, gradually regained control. The innings ended with Dennis in full flow hitting three full tosses for six with characteristic power; he made his second half-century of the season in even time as the total reached a competitive 229-8 after the 45 overs. Dan Fogerty made early inroads into the Bratton Fleming reply by removing both openers with only 15 on the board, including Martin Southcott who was bowled playing no stroke. Kingdom hit four boundaries but when he was caught and bowled by Tom Fogerty for 30 the home team were in trouble at 68-5. Gradually Oliver Hunt and Richard Tucker turned things round with a fine partnership that began to bear down on the Belstone total. Scoring at the required seven-an-over they added 85 for the sixth wicket before Chris Walpole, in the covers, hung onto a full-blooded drive to dismiss Hunt for 55 with included five fours and two sixes. Thereafter, with Tucker stranded on 41 not out at the bowler's end, the innings fell apart in just 24 balls as the score went from 153-5 to 159 all out, with Tom Boother polishing things off with three wickets in four balls including last man Charlie Langdon clean bowled.