BELSTONE Cricket Club enjoyed a day in the sun at Cheriton Fitzpaine last Sunday, beginning the new season with a convincing 52-run victory.
Batting first, they made a sound start thanks to an opening partnership of 64 in 20 overs between Pete Gross and new recruit Colin Wyatt.
On a slow wicket with the ball keeping low at times they mixed careful defence with powerful blows to and over the small boundary.
Wyatt was first out for 37 but Gross continued to hold the innings together until he was sixth out for 54 (with four 4s and two 6s) with the score at 137.
Apart from a quickfire 22 in a couple of overs from Wayne Pearce, Belstone?s other batsmen failed to make much impression as Bowles (4-30) and Hardeman (3-19) worked through the order leaving the visitors all out for 151 with four overs of the innings remaining.
In the field, Belstone made a sensational start with Aidan Easterbrook producing an unplayable first ball which shattered the defences of Cutler.
With Jonathan Parsons then getting two affirmative leg before shouts in successive balls Cheriton Fitzpaine were struggling at 28 for four after ten overs.
Mogridge (25) and Bowles (10) attempted a recovery but man-of-the-match Gross came on to clean-bowl them both, finishing with figures of four overs, three wickets for five runs.
A few dropped catches and a last-wicket partnership of 28 between Keight (21) and Stentiford delayed the inevitable before skipper Richard Drake, the last of nine bowlers to be tried, brought himself on to induce a skier to Pearce in the deep.
Belstone?s first home game of the season is at Rew Meadow this Sunday against Old Suttonians, beginning at 2.30pm ? supporters will be welcome.
BELSTONE v CHERITON FITZPAINE
Belstone
Gross b Guscott 54
Wyatt ct Keight b Hardeman 37
Woods ro 1
Pearce ct Sheldrick b Bowles 22
Edwards ro 0
Drake ct Stentiford b Bowles 10
Walpole ct Guscott b Hardeman 9
Gomersall b Bowles 0
Spinks b Bowles 2
Easterbrook ct Yeates b Hardeman 0
Parsons no 0
Extras 16
TOTAL 151
Bowling: Cutler 5-0-10-0; Gordon 5-1-14-0; Bowles 8-2-30-4; Guscott 8-0-54-1; Mogridge 6-2-15-0; Hardeman 4-0-19-3.
Cheriton Fitzpaine
Cutler b Easterbrook 0
Sheldrick lbw b Parsons 13
Hardeman b Gomersall 10
Mogridge b Gross 25
Guscott lbw b Parsons 0
Bowles b Gross 10
Stentiford no 8
Heard ct Gomersall b Gross 0
Gordon b Wyatt 0
Yeates b Spinks 0
Keight ct Pearce b Drake 21
Extras 12
TOTAL 99
Bowling: Easterbrook 4-0-12-1; Gomersall 8-0-19-1; Spinks 3-0-15-1; Parsons 8-3-13-2; Wyatt 7-2-21-1; Edwards 2-0-13-0; Drake 0.4-0-0-1; Gross 4-2-5-3; Pearce 1-1-0-0.