Buckley Cup
Spreyton v Belstone
AFTER a recent poor run of form in the Buckley Cup, Belstone travelled to Spreyton looking to turn things around.
Belstone won the toss and chose to field first on the Spreyton ‘carpet’. Spreyton batsmen Grant (13) and Charlie Hancock (17) started well with a rate of ten an over but wickets fell regularly with opening bowlers Mark Whiteside and Callum Mallett taking a brace each in the early overs.
Jack Davey and Steve Wright steadied the ship with the bat putting on 49 in nine overs before Wright retired with 25 useful runs. Davey was out soon as well for a confident 23 against his old club.
Wickets then fell quickly again with Belstone regaining control as the last four batsmen were out for just ten runs between them. The pick of the Belstone bowlers, Ed Stewart, finished with figures of four for seven to help restrain Spreyton to 102 runs all out with four balls of the 20 overs remaining.
Belstone began the chase slowly with the first four batsmen departing for a total of four runs after five overs with Charles Hedley-Dent picking up three of them for 11 runs conceded. Skipper Richard Drake continued his run of form and regained some order for the travelling side with an unbeaten 28 as the Belstone total began to climb.
Runs flowed from there including six sixes with contributions from Tallan Burns (23), Jopling (23 not out) and man of the match Stewart, who finished the game with a six over square leg into the tennis courts to end the chase in the 50th over after 47 runs had come off three overs. The visitors won by four wickets.
Belstone (15pts) beat Spreyton (7pts) by four wickets