Buckley Cup

BELSTONE got off to a thunderous start in their latest Buckley Cup 20-over evening game at Tedburn St Mary with 21, 18 and 21 coming from overs two, three and five respectively so after five overs the score was a massive 76 for no wicket.

All this was due to Richard Drake, who reached 25 in nine balls with two sixes and three fours and then retired (under the rules of the competition), and Matt Dennis whose first three scoring strokes were all sixes, who also retired, having reached 28 in 12 balls.

Jamie Walker (19) and Dan Fogerty (24) hit another two sixes apiece to take the score into three figures in the eighth over but eventually things quietened down as Greg Lewis (3-1-15-1) bowled a maiden over and Osbourne (3-0-24-2) and Alex Williams (4-0-41-3) got among the wickets.

In fact, with two overs remaining Tedburn had worked their way through all the Belstone tail, but by so doing they enabled Drake and Dennis to return to the crease to continue their assault. Drake was run out off the last ball of the innings for 44 as the visitors reached their highest ever 20-over score of 186 all out.

Tedburn needed a flying start to stand any chance but two early wickets for Dan Fogerty (4-0-12-2) put paid to that. Allison got them up to six an over with a good 25 before he also retired but then Matt Dennis (2-0-12-2) and Alex Jopling (3-0-13-3) worked through the lower order to ensure there was no real challenge to the large total, even though Belstone conceded 27 extras.

Allison returned to add another ten to his score but the overs ran out with Tedburn on 116 for nine leaving Belstone the winners by 70 runs.