MARTINSTOWN 187* (5pts) lost to WIMBORNE & COLEHILL 269-5 (20pts) by 58 runs (*revised target 245)

VISITORS Wimborne & Colehill proved too much for Martinstown to handle at Lower Ashton Farm as the home side’s poor run of form in the Dorset Funeral Plan Premier Division continues.

Wimborne’s Harry Beardsley was the star of the show for the Minstermen taking a magnificent 7-41 from nine overs bowled in the rain-affected contest, to help condemn Ed Nichols’ side to defeat – their fifth loss in a row.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, Wimborne set the perfect platform with 150 on the board before the first wicket fell.

Openers Colin Randall (87) and Marcus Cook (50) set a solid platform for the visitors, the latter’s half century coming at a run-aball.

Mark House also made 58 at three, but Liam Banfield helped restrict Wimborne from putting on a massive total.

He was the pick of the Martinstown attack as rain interrupted the first innings – recording figures of 3-37 from his 10 overs as the visitors eventually posted 269 from their 50 overs.

With the sides going off due to the weather, time was lost in the game meaning Martinstown were set a revised target of 245 to win from 41 overs.

Having lost Matt Camp early after promoting him to open, Nichols (42) and Lee House (38) went about setting up the chase before the latter was caught and bowled by Beardsley.

From then, Beardsley showed his skills with the ball as wickets continued to fall and the run rate climbed.

Only Steve Bishop (49) provided any resistance with an aggressive 49 but he ran out of partners as Martinstown were dismissed for 187.

Reflecting after the game, Nichols told Echosport: “They were a bit too canny for us I think in how they went about it.

“We never really had a huge over or really put the pressure on them. They just squeezed us out of the game and it’s probably a good lesson for us really in how to defend a total.

“They looked like a good outfit really and were a little too much for us on the day.”

He added: “We tried to elevate Matt Camp with the bat, who had been in good form.

“He’s a positive player and can play properly. We took a little bit of a punt in pushing him up. It didn’t come off and he got a good ball early on.

“Myself and Lee were quite pleased with how we got on, we built a bit of a base. We sort of thought we had set almost a 20-over game, needing 155 from then.

“Apart from Steve Bishop, who was fantastic, we never quite got a partner with him to put the pressure on them and they closed the game out quite well really.”

The defeat, Martinstown’s sixth from eight completed games, leaves them third-bottom of the pile with 82 points.

Nichols said: “It has really been notable in the last couple of weeks, looking at the difference between a side that’s been losing and a side that’s been winning.

“A side that has been winning just finds their way back from those awkward moments, whereas with a side that’s been losing, momentum can just slip away.”