North Devon League Cup Westleigh v Belstone BELSTONE's first-ever game in this cup competition took them to Westleigh, who currently play in the North Devon League division four, two below the visitors. Put in to bat on a sluggish damp pitch Belstone reached 23 before Tom Fogerty, already dropped twice, was bowled by Michael Merrick for 11. Scott Tremain (28) hit five boundaries but he, Tom Pearce (14) and Richard Drake (9) all picked out solitary fielders in the deep when going well to leave Belstone in trouble at 68-5 after 19 overs, with Rob Mills (9-0-24-2) the best of the bowlers up to then. A period of consolidation was called for and this came from a chanceless and, as it turned out, decisive, 95-run partnership for the sixth wicket (the third highest Belstone partnership for this wicket) between Jimmy Ewen (36) and Ryan Dennis, who completed his maiden half-century for the club. They both played straight with careful defence, while punishing the few bad balls with five sixes until both were out in successive overs towards the end, leaving the tail-enders to rustle up a few more quick runs to give a useful 45-over total of 184-9. James Corry, who took a wicket with his fifth ball, ended the innings with two more to finish with excellent figures of 5-32 from his nine overs. Westleigh began solidly, reaching 48 for one with James Morris (28) striking the ball very sweetly over the bowlers' heads, but then they lost four wickets for six runs in five overs, including a sharp run out of Kerry Palmer by keeper Pat Ewen. Corry, having a fine all-round match, kept the home team in the hunt with four boundaries and two sixes before opening bowler Dan Fogerty (9-1-18-3) returned for his second spell and clean-bowled him for 44 with the score on 121-7. That was the end of Westleigh's challenge as the tail only added another 15 runs to leave Belstone the winners by 48 runs with five overs remaining.

Buckley Cup Sticklepath v Belstone STICKLEPATH self-destructed in the Buckley Cup to hand Belstone an easy nine-wicket win in the 20-over evening competition. The carnage started when Richard Boarder swung across the line to the sixth ball of the innings to be clean bowled by Ryan Dennis for four. Dennis followed up with two more quick wickets while Tom Fogerty (4-1-6-1) bottled up the other end, but the most damaging self-inflicted wound came when Toby Gosling, who had hit his first ball for an enormous six, was run out by a direct hit from Fogerty at mid-off for nine. From a low point of 24 -6, with Dan Fogerty (4-1-10-3) causing problems, Tallan Burns (21) and Steve Granger (13) at least used up most of the 20 overs but then Duggie Little finished the innings off with two wickets in a brief seven-ball spell. Belstone made light work of the 72 needed for victory, knocking them off with almost half the 20 overs remaining thanks to Ash Baker (19), Scott Tremain (24) and skipper Richard Drake, who returned to form with 26 not out and the trademark flourish of hitting a six to win the match.