Pearsall trophy

Belstone's excellent season continued on Sunday with a 94-run win over Sticklepath in the annual Pearsall Trophy match — a game which included another record-breaking individual performance.

Batting first Belstone got off to a flying start courtesy of Phil Woods and Sam Ewen, who put on 95 for the first wicket in just 42 minutes, with eight boundaries and four sixes between them. First change bowlers Callum Mallett and Nigel Letheren abruptly ended the party, finding lift and turn on the damp wicket. First Letheren bowled Ewen for 34, then Mallett bowled Woods for 69, precipitating a Belstone batting collapse. Eight wickets fell for 38 runs in as many minutes, with Mallett picking up 4-25 and Letheren 3-21. Only a partnership of 30 for the ninth wicket between Jimmy Ewen (32) and Tom Fogerty (5 not out) stopped the rot, enabling Belstone to reach 164 all out at tea.

Harry Bushin opened the Belstone attack and took two wickets in his first over. By the time his seven over spell ended he had another six in the bag (helped by catches from five different fielders), giving remarkable figures of 8-7 runs with four maidens. This was a career-best spell and the best bowling figures since the club formed in 1993, beating the previous record by Reg Wonnacott's 8-69 against Old Eldonians in 1994.

Fogerty chipped in with a wicket at the other end to leave Sticklepath on 20-9 after 11 overs; respectability came from a defiant run-a-minute partnership of 50 for the last wicket between Sean Marshall (33) and Mallett (10 not out).