North Devon one

Belstone v Filleigh

THIS was an impressive display by Belstone over an under-strength Filleigh, this time posting their highest ever score in the League of 307-8, then bowling the visitors out cheaply to record a 206 run win.

Belstone openers Phil Woods and James Ewen began well with their third successive half-century partnership this time dominated by Woods who had reached 47 out of 72 in 10 overs when Ewen was bowled by James Tyson (8-0-36-2) for seven.

By then Filleigh opening bowler Ollie Fowler had come off injured conceding 23 runs including 11 wides, while his replacement Louis Roberts gave away 37 runs from his three overs.

The home side were scoring at seven an over, with Ryan Dennis making a fine 75 with eight fours and three sixes, by which time the score had reached 237. Giving him good support was skipper Richard Drake, with 40. The icing on the cake came in the final seven overs with a sparkling 21-minute eighth wicket partnership of 64 between Roy Page (20) and Alex Jopling who ended on 46 not out, his highest score for the club.

Filleigh needed a good start to stand a chance but Harry Bushin (5-1-15-2) put paid to that with a wicket maiden opening over and followed up with another scalp in his second over which left the visitors on 9-2.

First change Ryan Dennis (6-1-15-3) kept up the pressure with three middle order wickets and it was only opener Kevin Toze who offered prolonged resistance, batting for 89 minutes with six fours until he was seventh out for 49 by which time the score had limped to 97 in the 25th over. Formalities were completed soon after when Scott Tremain, now growth development officer with Gloucestershire Cricket Board, making a rare guest appearance for his old club, ran out last man Frazer Boundy to complete the convincing win.

Belstone chose to bat in their latest North Devon League division one game at Newton Tracey.

Openers Phil Woods and Ryan Dennis looked at ease against the home attack of Simon Gear and Dominic Robson until Woods launched a lofted drive off Gear straight to Dan Church on the long-off boundary to be out for 18. Phil Hatton soon followed but Dan Fogerty and Dennis played some crisp attacking strokes, both scoring at a run-a-minute, before Dennis was clean bowled by a superb swinging ball from Robson (6-0-20-2) for 23.

Matt Dennis departed for a ten ball duck, bowled by Gear (8-12-52-2) but then Richard Drake and Fogerty more than doubled the score from 54-4 to 113 in just five overs, helped by a wayward single over from Tyler Jowitt which yielded 21 runs, including 11 wides. Drake raced to 22 from 13 balls but then Robert Gear lured him into another big hit which went straight to the extra cover boundary where Bill Soby took the catch.

From that point on Belstone’s innings fell apart in spectacular fashion as Fogerty was bowled by Gear for 36 (which included three fours and two sixes) while the remaining five batsmen could muster just nine runs between them as the score plummeted from 113 for four to 127 all out. Gear finishing with fine figures of 4-15 from four overs.

Belstone needed early wickets to stand any chance of defending their modest total and one soon came as Phil Butcher was out second ball for a duck, edging Ryan Dennis (8-1-20-1) to second slip where Woods took a good catch. Opener Simon Gear was joined by Church and they kept out some fine bowling to advance the score to 34 before Church was leg before to Fogerty for 15. Next ball Soper gloved a rising Fogerty delivery to Chris Walpole in the gully to depart for a golden duck.

Martin Gear hit four quick boundaries but he had to retire which led to another golden duck as Tom Boother bowled Robert Gear to make it 59-4.

Arden Frew-Smith (5.1-0-23-1) then bowled a hostile spell with little luck as Belstone made the home side battle for every run but Simon Gear kept a calm head throughout, eventually being dismissed just before the end for a valuable 46 which included six fours and a six.

Buckley Cup

Belstone v

Tedburn St Mary

BELSTONE made it five wins out of five in the T20 evening Buckley Cup with a comfortable 40 run win over visitors Tedburn St Mary.

Ryan Dennis got Belstone off to a flying start with 25 runs from 15 balls before he retired under the rules of the competition. Also retiring on 25 were Matt Dennis who took 12 balls to get off the mark but ending with five fours; Sam Palmer made his highest score for the club. Richard Drake’s 13 ball 24 included a virtuoso switch-hit for six over midwicket before he became Munday’s (2-0-10-2) second wicket.

Once Tedburn lost two wickets in Doug Little’s first over, then two more in Andy King’s first two overs they were never going to mount a serious challenge but they did recover from 35-5 to reach 103 all out thanks to Ed Willoughby who was last out for 28 and an elegant 20 from Munday. Highlights in the field for Belstone were a low fast catch at first slip by Drake and an overhead one-handed twisting catch at mid off by Arden Frew-Smith.