Pearsall Trophy

Belstone v Sticklepath

LOCAL rivals Belstone and Sticklepath met at Rew Meadow for the sixth battle in the Pearsall Trophy series, the cup donated by Okehampton jewellers WJ Pearsall.

Sticklepath won the toss and began well with a partnership of 49 for the first wicket before Richard Boarder became the first of three wickets for Harry Bushin, caught by Matt Dennis for 12. Divan Marais continued to dominate at the other end until he was second out for 52, made out of a total of 71.

The visitors' middle order then went fairly cheaply as the next four wickets fell for 45 runs but useful late contributions from Sean Marshall (15), Paul Penberthy (16), Nigel Letheren (23) and Del Lammonby (17 not out) ensured a decent 40-over total of 185-8.

Belstone also made a solid start putting on 40 for the first wicket in ten overs before Tom Pearce (10) was leg before to Nigel Letheren, but then Sticklepath began to exert pressure with a string of tight overs from Lammonby (8-2-12-1) and Letheren (8-2-24-1) which saw three more wickets fall while the score crawled up to 62 for four at the half-way stage.

Opener Phil Woods, who had begun with two sixes, was holding things together for Belstone but with 124 needed off 20 overs with the lower order to come Sticklepath looked favourites to record their first win in the series since 2008.

Things began to even up when Dan Fogerty joined Woods and began an acceleration which saw the score doubled to 140 with 70 runs coming in eight overs, Woods in particular timing some glorious drives and savage pulls.

As a string of wides were also bowled, the balance swung decisively in Belstone's favour, with Fogerty adept at giving the strike to the increasingly dominant Woods, who reached his fourth hundred for the club with another leg-side boundary. A few overs later he completed the job with his 13th four to finish on 111 not out.

At the other end Fogerty remained on 27 not out with the winning 128-run unbroken partnership setting a new fifth wicket record for Belstone, breaking the previous record of 123 set only six weeks ago.