BRIDPORT 2nd XI have missed out on a second successive championship after pushing hard all summer for the NSA Saturday Division Four title.

They went into their final game at Stalbridge 2nd XI needing a good win to hold off the challenge of Cerne Valley.

But they went down to a 17-run defeat - only their third of the season - and Cerne Valley claimed the championship with a 58-run triumph at Gillingham.

Nevertheless second place enables Bridport, champions of Division Five last year , to continue their march through the Saturday divisions.

Skipper David Backhouse said: "Stalbridge had one or two first team players in but that is par for the course.

"It's a bit disappointing to lose the last one but if you had said at the start of the season that we would finish second and gain promotion we would have said yes.

"We have played some Cricket and we have also benefited from consistency of selection. We have become a unit."

There is some talk in cricketing circles that Bridport, who field three teams in the NSA Dorset Cricket League, are about to make changes, the most significant of which would be that the 1st XI becomes a Saturday team and plays in Division Three next summer.

Backhouse said: "There are rumours flying around but no decisions have been made yet. "We are having a meeting this month to sort the three sides out and then that will have to go to the annual meeting in October."

At Stalbridge Bridport ran into a solid batting display from the home side, who piled up an impressive 230-5 from 45 overs.

C Eggleton, trapped leg-before by David Backhouse without scoring, was the only failure among the seven Stalbridge batsmen in action.

There were particularly valuable innings from T Blagrove (39), Jamie Dyke (43) and A Robertson, who was 50 not out when the innings closed.

David Backhouse, picking up 4-57 from ten overs, was the best of the Bridport attack.

Openers Sean Fitzgerald and Paul Tweddle went more cheaply than Bridport would have liked. Then a promising recovery was betrayed by the run outs that cost the wickets of Henry Bloxham (58) and Andy Sherring (41) when both were well set.

Chris Backhouse stroked 38 but the late middle-order and the tail failed to respond to the challenge and Bridport slid to defeat, falling 18 runs short of victory and the title.

Stalbridge 2nd XI Blagrove b D Backhouse 39 Fawcett b Michell 22 J Dyke b D Backhouse 23 Jamie Dyke c Stripp b D Backhouse 43 Robertson not out 50 Eggleton lbw b D Backhouse 0 Williams not out 29 Extras 26 Total 45 overs (5 wkts) 230 Bowling: Hawker 7-1-31-0, Michell 12-2-29-1, C Backhouse 7-0-39-0, D Backhouse 10-0-57-4, Moxom 2-0-18-0, S Fitzgerald 7-0-47-0.

Bridport 2nd XI S Fitzgerald c J Dyke b Williams 22 Tweddle b Blagrove 15 Bloxham run out 58 A Sherring run out 41 C Backhouse b Robertson 38 Dawe lbw b Robertson 0 Moxom b Calcott 3 D Backhouse b Wadham 7 Stripp not out 7 Michell c b Calcott 0 Hawker run out 1 Extras 19 Total 45 overs 213 Bowling: Williams 10-0-44-1, Wadham 12-3-35-1, Eggleton 9-1-43-0, Blagrove 7-0-31-1, Robertson 6-0-38-2, Calcott 1-0-8-2. Points: Stalbridge 2nd XI 20, Bridport 2nd XI 7.