North Devon division one

Bideford v Belstone

BIDEFORD fielded their strongest Sunday side of the season for the visit of Belstone, a selection that paid off with their first win of the summer in the league this season but not before the visitors had put up a creditable fight in attempting to reach the 280 required.

On the fast outfield there were plenty of runs, but not for the first 20 overs of the Bideford innings when Ryan Dennis (8-1-27-0) and Jim Mawle (8-1-29-1, playing his first game for Belstone in 17 years, kept things tight, restricting the score to 78 for one.

However, in the next 20 Bideford hit the accelerated and a further 201 runs were scored, most of them in boundaries and sixes. Opener Oliver Hannam who hit eight fours in an 82 minute knock which was only ended when he was run out for 62 by a superb pick up and throw by Ryan Dennis running from mid off.

The real damage to Belstone was done in a fourth wicket partnership of 145 between Jamie Lathwell who carried his bat for 81 not out with 13 fours and an explosive innings from the Jayson Bartolo (a Zimbabwe-born South African with a Portuguese passport, over from Australia), who smashed 12 fours and four sixes in just 48 minutes before miscueing to keeper Matt Dennis off Richard Drake for 83. All the later bowlers suffered from the onslaught and Belstone’s fielding eventually became uncharacteristically sloppy as the innings ended on 279-5.

Belstone got off to a steady start, thanks to an opening partnership of 68 in ten overs between Phil Woods and Ryan Dennis, which ended when Josh Stephenson took a spectacular one-handed diving catch at mid on to dismiss Dennis for a run-a-minute 33 in Bartolo’s first over.

Number three Tom Pearce continued to take the attack to Bideford adding 45 with Woods before he was clean bowled by Martin Stewart for 21. Woods went soon after for a 75 minute innings of 42 which contained eight boundaries, part of a middle order slump which saw the visitors lose five wickets for 23 runs. Stewart was the chief tormentor, finishing as the pick of the bowlers with 5-38 from his eight overs.

Chris Walpole (9) helped Drake in a recovery which saw 55 added for the seventh wicket in just 26 minutes, with Drake deploying the reverse sweep to good effect as Belstone kept up with the required run rate. Drake reached his half century with a six off Bartolo but immediately dragged the next ball onto his stumps to be out for 51. That was effectively the end of the Belstone challenge as they were all out soon afterwards for 213, leaving Bideford the victors of an entertaining game at Westward Ho! by 66 runs.

Bideford (20pts) beat Belstone (6pts) by 66 runs.