AN unbeaten 45 from Kieron Womble steered league new boys Snookes Pirates to victory at Puddletown as they finally got their season up and running.

The hosts could only manage a total of 86-6 batting first, with Dan Morris (39) scoring nearly half their runs in the Division Two encounter.

Matthew Oliver (2-7) was the stand-out bowler for the Pirates before Womble saw the visitors home by six wickets – Pete Horne claimed 2-26 for Puddletown.

The Pirates had been due to start their campaign the previous week but the clash with Plush was one of several to fall to the weather.

However, league and cup matches are now in full swing and in Division Three another side new to the league, Cosmos, won their first two fixtures.

They thrashed Charlton Down Seconds and then Cattistock Seconds, both by eight wickets, with Duncan Macbean finishing 47 not out in the latter.

Casuals also have two wins from two following victories against Cattistock Seconds, during which Liam Coward scored 81 and Joe Power took 3-3, and Charlton Down Seconds.

Joe Baggs plundered an unbeaten 74 in Division One as Catti-stock beat Charlton Down by 48 runs, while Cerne Valley hammered Abbotsbury by 60 runs in Division Two.

Meanwhile, in the cup, Charlton Down Seconds will face reigning champions St George’s in the second round after seeing off Cattistock Seconds in the preliminaries.

Also through are Puddletown, convincing 78-run winners over Winfrith, Cosmos, who had a walkover, and a Chris Ricketts-inspired Puddletown RFC, 34-run victors over neighbours Puddletown Reserves.