Buckley Cup

Sandford v Belstone

THERE were a few interesting points to ponder at the end of an entertaining league game between Belstone and Sandford last Sunday – there were no maiden overs in the whole 78-over game and opening batsmen on both sides made unbeaten centuries.

Sandford included Faisal Iqbal, who played 26 Tests and 18 ODI’s for Pakistan between 2000 and 2010, but he did not face a ball and did not bowl a ball; and, most importantly for the home side, Belstone recorded one of their most comprehensive victories, chasing down 240 for the loss of just one wicket.

After Belstone skipper Phil Woods won the toss and asked Sandford to bat Shaun Hawkins dominated an opening partnership of 36 with Jim Shepherd – when Hawkins was out for 26 Shepherd had only scored six runs, and four of those had been due to a misfield. But this careful beginning soon began to pay dividends as Shepherd started to accelerate, putting on 95 for the second wicket with Freddie Filor before the latter became the first of spinner Alex Jopling’s victims, caught by Tom Fogerty for 28.

Sandford captain Pete Steer helped Shepherd add another 49 for the fifth wicket before he was caught behind by Pat Ewen for 20 off Jopling. By now Shepherd was hitting boundaries and he reached his century off 116 balls in 142 minutes. Belstone put the brakes on the scoring at the other end, taking lower order wickets regularly so that none of the last six batsmen reached double figures. Jopling was the most successful bowler, finishing with 4-45 from his eight overs and Ryan Dennis bowled his eight overs economically but without reward for 25 runs at the start of proceedings. Shepherd carried his bat to the end of the 40 overs, finishing on 122 with 15 fours and three sixes.

Belstone openers Woods and James Ewen started their reply cautiously but with few alarms, reaching 35 off the first ten overs. Their partnership had reached 65, the same score as their opening stand the previous week at Bratton Fleming, before Ewen was caught at point by Steer off Greg Lewis for 33 in the 15th over. By this time 14 year-old leg spinner Jem Fawssett was bowling some tidy overs but new batsman Ryan Dennis and Woods attacked the other end as Alex Stevens conceded 49 runs from his five overs. At the 20 over stage the game was evenly balanced, with Belstone’s 102 for one matching Sandford’s earlier 110 for one.

The same applied at the 30 over mark when Belstone’s 181 for one compared to Sandford’s 175 for three. By now Woods had passed fifty and was bearing down on his hundred with some powerful off drives and pulls. Dennis hit two sixes early on in his innings but then pushed singles effectively – at one point scoring 13 of them in a row – to give the strike back to Woods at every opportunity. Woods was dropped at deep mid on – the only chance he gave – before reaching his century in 141 minutes from 95 balls. By then the momentum was firmly with Belstone and the two batsmen duly completed the nine wicket win with 12 balls to spare, Woods ending on 117 not out with 8 fours and 5 sixes, his sixth hundred for Belstone, and Dennis reaching 52 not out, scored off 63 balls in 94 minutes.