North Devon v Belstone

BELSTONE travelled to the seaside at Instow for their latest North Devon match against North Devon CC.

The home side had a strong batting side, including first teamers, who rubbed it in by scoring the highest 40-over total ever against them, 352 -5.

Things were relatively calm for the first ten overs of the North Devon innings as Ed Yeo and Tom Ansell played themselves in after the early loss of Alfie Huxtable, leg before to Dan Fogerty.

The next ten overs brought 80 runs with the second wicket partnership reaching 111 before Yeo dragged one onto his stumps from Arden Frew-Smith, departing for 51 scored in 81 minutes with eight boundaries. From then on the wheels came off the fielding side as Belstone dropped four catches and some erratic bowling was dispatched to all parts of the ground.

Frew-Smith was removed from the attack after his eight ball spell conceded 39 runs. Brandon Horn fared little better, his three overs going for 49 runs.

Alex Jopling (8-0-43-1) was the pick of the bowlers and Tom Boother (8-0-67-1) effected a smart run out of Johnny Green for a duck but all the plaudits went to Ansell and North Devon’s overseas left-hander Adrian Isherwood. Ansell moved smoothly though the gears to reach his hundred off 88 balls in 105 minutes with 18 boundaries whereas Isherwood, coming in at number four at the halfway 20 over point started in top gear and accelerated from there. Some ferocious cutting, pulling and driving saw him race to a hundred within an hour as the third ten overs of the innings yielded 100 runs and the last ten overs 108 runs. He contributed 53 runs to the unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 78 with Jedd Foster (8 not out) which was scored in six overs, and he eventually finished on 134 not out, scored off just 67 balls with 22 fours and two sixes.

Belstone made a bad start when Dan Fogerty was caught behind fishing at a wide ball from Foster for a duck but then Phil Woods (eight fours in 39) and Ryan Dennis (18) took the score to 69 before Woods was out.

The middle order failed to register and it became a question of whether Belstone could reach half of North Devon’s total which would at least secure them a couple of points. Jopling (33), Pat Ewen (22) and Harry Bushin (16) all played well but, unlike Belstone in the field, North Devon caught all their catches so no-one went on to get the big score needed.

Huxtable, Alfred Reynolds, Green and Tyre all picked up two wickets as the innings ended on 166 all out, still 12 runs short of that half-way score.

Buckley Cup

Hatherleigh v Belstone

A HIGH-scoring evening T20 game saw visitors Belstone edge home against Hatherleigh to maintain their unbeaten start in the Buckley Cup.

That outcome did not look likely when Belstone were 36 for five in the seventh over with Adam Quick (3-0-14-3) and Braithwaite (4-0-24-2) sharing the wickets which included a superb low catch by Charlie Neilson in the slips to dismiss Ryan Dennis cheaply.

The next few overs went for at least ten apiece as Tom Fogerty and Brandon Horn (11) regained the momentum until Fogerty retired on 25 not out, according to the rules of the competition. The pace kept up as Chris Walpole (11) swung a six through the pavilion door and Dan Fogerty hit a much longer six. When last man Dave Smallacombe was out Tom Fogerty was able to rejoin his brother Dan for a final three over whirlwind which saw another 44 runs added, including 21 off the final over, leaving Tom Fogerty on 51 not out and Dan Fogerty on 36 not out. The final total of 173-9 was Belstone’s fourth best 20-over score ever.

Hatherleigh were up with the required run rate as openers Quick and Neilson both retired on 26 by the fifth over but next man Zando was soon stumped by Dan Fogerty off a Mark Whiteside delivery that was also signalled a wide. Gareth Tidball and Roach also had to retire after swift 25s which enabled Alex Jopling (4-0-23-2) and Sam Ewen (4-0-31-1) to put a brake on the scoring as incoming lower order batsmen found it harder to keep the momentum going even though six sixes were hit in the Hatherleigh reply.

With three overs remaining Hatherleigh needed 37 to win with the free-scoring retired batmen waiting to return – at this point Dennis bowled a crucial over which conceded just a single. Crucial to the outcome was the disciplined lines bowled by the visitors which saw them give away just two wides, compared to the 29 conceded by Hatherleigh. In the final over Hatherleigh needing 27; Dennis restricted them to two singles and a boundary to give Belstone a 20-run victory.