Belstone v Filleigh

BELSTONE and Filleigh served up a thrilling division one match which culminated in a tense 40 minute last wicket partnership where the outcome could, of course, have gone either way. Only four players from each side remained the same from the corresponding fixture two weeks earlier but all 22 played a part in what one impartial couple said was the best game they had ever seen.

Belstone's skipper Harry Bushin won the toss and invited Filleigh to bat. He led the attack with a wicket maiden first over and followed up with two more clean bowled scalps to finish with figures of three for 25 from seven overs.

The other opening bowler Ryan Dennis (7-3-14-1) was equally effective and economic, beginning with two maidens and taking a wicket in his fifth. First change Andy King, playing his first match for two seasons, also picked up a wicket in his first over, hanging on to a caught and bowled chance given by Oliver Squire.

All this reduced visitors Filleigh to 44 for five after 15 overs, but then the only significant partnership of their innings (66 runs) began to take shape as Alan Sullivan was joined by skipper Jas Kalsi.

Sullivan began with a four and a six but Kalsi was more cautious, taking 40 minutes to compile 25 runs before he was caught by Harley Cann to give Rob Sandercock the first of his three wickets, just after Sullivan had reached a 64-minute half century. Sullivan was eventually eighth out for 67, which included four 4s and three 6s, when the score had reached 135.

The innings ended soon after with Tom Pearce, back for his first game of the season after injury, taking two late wickets, one of them thanks to a fine running over-the-shoulder catch by Nazir Khan.

If Belstone were confident of chasing down the 147 required they were in for a rude awakening as sisters Anna and Millie Squire ripped into the top and middle order. They both began with wickets in their opening overs and Anna completed her first spell with an excellent three wicket maiden, trapping Khan leg before and clean bowling Cann and Steve Gove; by the time the sisters came off they had bowled a total of 14 overs and taken six for 29.

At 53 for seven, the Belstone reply was in a worse state than the Filleigh innings had been. Only Ryan Dennis, who had come in at number four, was standing firm. He found a partner in Bushin (10) while 22 were added but at 75 for eight, barely half way to the required total with only two wickets left, Filleigh looked assured of victory.

Dennis then added another valuable 26 runs for the ninth wicket with King before he was finally out for 32, made in 74 minutes. Fourteen overs remained and 46 were needed for Belstone.

Last man Sandercock joined King and hit Anna Squire, who had returned for a one over final burst, for a six, slightly denting her figures to four for 24 from eight overs.

Tension mounted over the next 30 minutes as Belstone inched closer to their target, the pressure being released every time King hit one of his five boundaries. Filleigh's final chance came with just a few runs required when Sandercock miscued to cover but the simple catch was dropped.

Belstone's improbable victory was sealed soon after with King and Sandercock unbeaten on 27 and 25 respectively; it was only the club's third highest last wicket partnership, but surely the most significant.