Belstone v Sandford

BELSTONE made Sandford work hard for their two-wicket win in a low-scoring league game.

Put in to bat Belstone got off to a decent start with Phil Woods (18) and Tom Fogerty (13) taking the score to 56-3 in only the tenth over but the middle order struggled against Shane Evenden (5-1-14-2) and Matt Hopkins (8-2-14-4).

The run rate dropped right back as wickets fell regularly and only a brief flurry from debutant Mark Whiteside (16) and Harry Bushin (19) took the score into three figures. In fact extras (26) were easily the top score as Belstone finished all out for 119 with more than seven overs of the 40 unused.

Sandford’s reply proceeded steadily as opener Chris Blake (19), Evenden (20) and Hopkins took the score to 97 for three, with a seemingly easy victory in sight.

The next 23 runs cost five wickets and took 31 increasingly fraught minutes. Tom Boother’s left arm pace (6-1-18-4) caused most problems as he induced three batsmen to hole out to Harry Bushin at mid-on off mistimed strokes.

Callum Mallett (6.1-2-12-1) kept the other end tight and the pressure mounted as Sandford, whose last league game had ended in a tie, began to worry.

However, Hopkins kept calm throughout, stroking seven boundaries to take his side to victory just after reaching his half-century.