Australian side West Canberra arrived at Rew Meadow on 16 August for their penultimate game of a month’s tour of the UK.  Belstone restricted them to a modest 54 for one at the halfway 20-over stage thanks to a penetrating spell by opening bowler Jonathan Parsons whose eight overs conceded just 14 runs.  Thereafter however Wests stepped on the accelerator to such an extent that the second 20-overs brought them another 178 runs.  Opening bat Clinton Lillepruun was the mainstay of the innings until he was sixth out for 74, scored off 103 balls when the score had reached 159.  Skipper Jeff Clark contributed a run-a-ball 29 before David Jess (4 sixes in 33) and Swee Pang (2 sixes and 3 fours in 38 not out) finished the innings in thunderous style.

With the score on 62 at the halfway stage of Belstone’s reply they were actually ahead of the equivalent Wests score, although four wickets had gone down.  Phil Woods continued to keep them in the hunt especially during a seventh wicket partnership of 62 in just 23 balls with Chris Gomersall (25).  Woods passed his fifth half century of the season, reaching 66 with 8 fours and 2 sixes before he advanced down the track once too often and was stumped by Ben Keens, leaving the visitors with a comfortable 58 run victory.       

Belstone’s league game at Exeter last Sunday started badly as Pete Gross carved the first ball of the game – a wide full pitch from Grant Johnston – unerringly into cover’s midriff.  With the pitch playing a few tricks only Johnny Coburn of the subsequent batsmen looked at ease, stroking 8 fours and a six in his 46. All the middle order made a start but none went on to post a decent score as Clive Dickinson tied up one end effectively with three wickets for 16 off his nine overs.  The return of opening bowler Adam Smith saw the tail mopped up as he took the last three wickets for no runs in six balls, leaving Belstone all out for 145 with five overs of the innings wasted.

The turning point of the game came in the ninth over of Exeter’s reply after keeper Johnny Carter had caught Wilson for a single off Gomersall to leave the home side on 40 for three.  New batsman Johnston clipped his first ball firmly to midwicket and his second straight back up the pitch but both chances were spilled.  In all he was dropped four times before punishing these lapses with 6 fours in a knock of 32.  At the other end David Oberholzer put away the bad balls effectively with 10 fours and 3 sixes in his 72.  Although Belstone dismissed them both (Gomersall finishing with four for 53) and then exerted some pressure on the lower order they had too few runs to defend, so that Giles Kernick (16 not out) was able to steer Exeter to victory with ten overs to spare.