WEYMOUTH 158-7 (18pts) beat CATTISTOCK 121 (4pts) by 37 runs

WEYMOUTH fought back with a brilliant bowling performance to beat in-form Cattistock by 37 runs in a compelling County Division One contest.

After setting a modest total of 158-7 from their 45 overs, the Seasiders ripped into the Cattistock order, reducing them to 54-8.

But a steady ninth-wicket partnership of 37 between Brad Mullins (9) and Billy Browning (22no) had the away side worried until Jack Sapsworth (1-27) and Sami Rathnayake (3-10) finished a gripping encounter that had ebbed and flowed throughout.

Having been put in to bat after losing the toss the visitors found themselves in trouble at 30-3 on a damp wicket as Liam Toohill (2-10) exploited some uneven bounce.

Weymouth captain Simon Browne (50) was again the fulcrum of his side’s innings and a quick-fire contribution of 24 from Rathnayake, including a mammoth six over cover, enabled Browne’s men to set a target of 159.

Good early work from opening bowlers Graham Puckett (2-13) and Neil Walton (2-27) restricted Cattistock to 41-4 after 18 overs, before Harry Mitchell (2-16) and Rathnayake took the next four for just 13 runs.

Mullins and Browning’s solid stand had Weymouth briefly concerned until teenager Sapsworth and Sri Lankan paceman Rathnayake mopped up the tail.

Commenting after Weymouth’s second successive win, Browne told Echosport he’d have “bitten your hand off” if he were offered the final result before play began.

“We’ve won by 37 runs against a good side and if you’d have said that at the start of the day I’d have bitten your hand off for that.

“I thought it was going to be a high-scoring game with batsmen on top but it certainly wasn’t, it was a very sticky wicket with no bounce in it and consequently we had to dig in,” he said.

Browne added that the early dismissals of opposition batsmen had played a key part in his side’s win.

“We’ve been pretty economical in the other games but we haven’t gone through sides and taken two, three or more wickets but this time we did that, which was great.

“They dug in at the end to get them a little closer than we would have liked but it was another good win and a good performance all round.”

This weekend Weymouth face Parley at Redlands as the Seasiders look to record their third consecutive victory.

* Weymouth Seconds (76-2) defeated Winton (75) by eight wickets.