The Belvoir Sunday XI had a memorable victory yesterday at the Belvoir Cricket Ground.
In a high scoring game with over 500 runs scored on the day Belvoir won the toss and elected to bat. father and son partnership of Chris and Tommy Bealby opened the innings but Bealby senior fell early on to a good inswinger from the left arm seamer, Sharma. Jacob Marshall-Taylor came to the wicket and he and Tommy (both 17 years old) put on a masterclass of batting, rotating the strike and punishing the bad ball. Having taken the score from 16-1 to 205, a partnership of 189, Tommy was bowled going for a big hit and playing across the line of a straight one. Jacob continued to take the offensive to the bowlers and reached his 150 with a boundary off the final ball of the innings. Belvoir closing on a very creditable 258-4 off their 40 overs.
The Syston Town reply began after tea in front of a reunion of Belvoir legends, including, David Storer, Jason Hemstock, Andy Mitchell, Tony Wade, Max Brasher and Club Chairman Andy Dann.
However the pitch was still playing very well and the Syston openers started to build a solid platform. The advantage ebbed and flowed but some tight bowling from Will Green and Tommy Bealby leading upto tea saw the visitors run rate required climb to 9 an over. The introduction of Jacob Marshall-Taylor’s off spin finally got the breakthrough as opener Howlett was bowled for 106, fellow opener Oakman went soon after , stumped by Chris Bealby for 79, the pair having put on 186 for the first wicket.
With 5 overs to go it was still nip and tuck but two superb outfield catches clinched the game for Belvoir. Dominic Birch came on at the Knipton end and Prakash launched one high towards the midwicket boundary, Tommy Bealby running round in front of the assembled legends made a difficult catch look easy. In Doms next over Will Green (15) took an even more impressive grab , running in from deep extra cover.
20 were needed off the final over but some superb death bowling from Dom Birch kept the visitors to 243-4, a winning marging of just 15 runs in what was a superb game of cricket.
Great credit to the Belvoir youngsters who fielded as if their lives depended on it ! Special mention to Gus Hagger who made a particularly good , one handed diving stop at Cover, and James Taylor who was solid at Mid Off thoroughout the innings.
