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OVERSEAS STAR: Shannon Dunnett

A FIERY local derby is expected in the county town tomorrow as both Dorchester and Weymouth look to re-ignite their Dorset Funeral Plan Premier League title hopes by bouncing back from disappointing defeats.

Last Saturday, table-toppers Dorchester lost by one run at home to Suttoners while the Seasiders experienced a bewildering mid-order collapse to succumb to Blandford at Redlands by nine runs.

Tomorrow's clash at Dorchester Rec (1.30pm) has been eagerly anticipated since the start of the season and even more so after the first scheduled meeting between the two clubs on May 17 was postponed due to rain.

And for fourth-placed Weymouth it is a do-or-die situation. Dean Janaway's men are 4.13 points adrift of their local rivals on points average so nothing less than a victory will do.

The determined skipper said: "It is a must-win for us as far as our season goes and any title aspirations that we have and we are really looking forward to it.

"Any game between Dorchester and Weymouth is always big but the fact that a victory for us would put us right back in the hunt makes it even bigger.

"Dorchester have a great all-round side and they totally deserve to be top of the league.

"They have got some brilliant players. They have got the best overseas player in the league in Shannon Dunnett who looks class every time I see him and they have the best all-rounder in Dan Belt.

"They also have other superb players like Pete Moxom, Rob Waite, Lee Haynes and Steve Gerety as well so it is going to be tough for us but we are up for the challenge."

Weymouth, who are still without Paul Payne (shoulder), will make one change to the line-up that lost against Blandford last week.

Janaway added: "Matt Lawes has a slight back injury which means he cannot bowl so James Ladd-Gibbon, who did well for us at Suttoners earlier in the season, comes in.

"Both sides will want to put last week's disappointing defeats behind them but form does not matter in big games like this, it is all going to be about who performs on the day."

Dorchester's captain Martyn Richards also knows how much is at stake in this local clash.

He said: "There's a lot more riding on it than just league points. We know a lot of their players well and there will be plenty of banter, so local bragging rights will also be at stake.

"Weymouth are a fantastic side with players like Jim Ryall, Dave Trotter and Ben Lawes, who is one of the best batsman Doret have produced in recent years. This is the biggest game for Dorchester for a number or years, I'm just hoping that the sun shines this time."

Richards has been forced to make one change for the Seasiders' visit with Charlie Sutton making his first appearance of the season in place of the unavailable Quenton Miller.

The skipper added: "Charlie works as a teacher on the Isle of Wight but their term has finished and it's always been our intention to have Charlie back in the squad so we're delighted he's back for this one. As a left-arm seamer he gives us a different dimension."

Dorchester: Richards, Gerety, Moxom, Haynes, Tweddle, Belt, Dunnett, Waite, Morley, Sutton, Iyer Weymouth: Ryall, Janaway, B Lawes, Bray, England, Fulton, Ladd-Gibbon, Browne, M Pearce, Whyte, Trotter.

10:00am Friday 18th July 2008

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