BELSTONE CC ventured into South Wales for their end-of-season tour this year with a game on Barry Island near Cardiff.

Apart from a swift 22 from Dan Fogerty Belstone’s top order struggled against the accurate bowling of Tommy Miller (5-0-21-2), Rhys Hatton (5-1-25-3) and Neil Holmes (5-0-25-2) such that they were reduced to 39-5 and then 84-8 at the 20 over half way stage, with the innings threatening to be all over at any minute.

However, normal opening bat Phil Woods and usual number three Tom Pearce had other ideas as they began a ninth wicket partnership which eventually blo-ssomed into a new club record stand for the wicket of 92 runs, comfortably smashing the previous best of 52, set in 2006.

Pearce was finally stumped just after reaching his fifty; the last wicket fell soon after leaving Woods stranded on 49 not out with the total of 179 all out being far better than had seemed likely an hour earlier.

Barry West End began their reply very cautiously at two an over with Rhys Howell taking 46 balls to score 14 and his fellow opener Mark Williams even slower with four runs from 33 balls. By the time they were both out with the score on 33, 15 overs had gone.

Chris Walpole then made his one contribution to the game by bowling Barry’s best batsman David Frost for a golden duck to leave them further adrift. Steven Oram (27) and Mark Ellis (31) batted well but they couldn’t score quickly enough to get the chase back on course. With Matt Dennis picking up two late wickets for just ten runs the innings petered out on 134-7 to give the tourists a comfortable 45 run win.

Trull near Taunton was the venue for the second tour game, a 35 over affair the first half of which was sportingly played by the hosts in wind-swept heavy drizzle. With the batting order reversed from the previous day, Belstone made a much better start with Phil Dennis (21 with a six and two fours) and Pearce (37 with two sixes and five fours) adding 62 in eight overs for the first wicket. Richard Drake (59 off 47 balls with seven 4s and two 6s) and Matt Dennis (21 from 15 balls) kept the score ticking along nicely but the fireworks really began with the arrival of Fogerty when the score had reached 171 for seven in the 27th over. He reached his fifty with his fourth six from just 28 balls and then retired, but even this was eclipsed by No 10 Ryan Dennis. He faced just seven balls for 27 not out, having deposited four consecutive full tosses from Paul Farthing over the long-on boundary for six. 104 runs came from the final ten overs with the last two overs going for 38. Ed Barrett was the best Trull bowler, finishing with four for 46 from his six overs while the luckless Farthing conceded 76 from his seven overs.

Trull were not fazed by the daunting target of 269 for victory as openers Luke Bishop and Olly Barrett hit 46 off the first five overs and their partnership had reached 60 before Ryan Dennis bowled Bishop for 33 off 17 balls, with five fours and a six. Sam Pike joined Barrett and they doubled the score to 125 before Pike was well held at deep midwicket by Phil Dennis off Walpole for 21. Barrett kept Trull in the hunt to such an extent that by the time he was caught by Matt Dennis off Drake for a fine 68 with the score on 155 in the 27th over, they were actually ahead of the equivalent score in Belstone’s innings. That momentum could not continue, especially when Phil Dennis bowled three late overs taking two wickets for five runs, so even though Jerry Palmer made a run-a-ball 30 not out the innings finally finished 53 runs short, to give Belstone a one hundred per cent winning record for their tour.