POOLE TOWN 133-9 (17pts) beat MARTINSTOWN 62 (4pts) by 71 runs

MARTINSTOWN skipper Ed Nichols admitted “someone has to step up” to boost his side’s batting prowess and back up their good work with the ball.

Having restricted Poole to what looked an under-par total of 133-9 in a contest that was reduced to 39 overs due to rain at Poole Park on Saturday, only one man reached double figures for the visitors in reply, as they were rolled over with ease for just 62 all out.

Mike Kennedy-Barnard claimed 3-17 with the ball earlier in the day with Sam Kershaw also impressing with 2-17 from five overs, as Martinstown seemingly put themselves in the box seat at the halfway stage.

But, with Kennedy Barnard the only man to reach 10 batting second, Nichols’ side never looked like getting near their victory target.

“Honestly, every time we have bowled this year in the Saturday side, even in the evening league team, as a club we are bowling and fielding really well,” Nichols told Echosport.

“Those are big positives but we just need to find the runs from somewhere. Someone has to step up, myself included, and either put totals on the board or chase well.

“We have got to back the bowlers up because they are doing such a good job and even in the field we are supporting them. We are just letting them down with the bat, doing half a job and not getting over the line.”

On the game at Poole, he added: “It was always going to be a difficult wicket, we had a deluge before the start and, to be honest, it still hadn’t dried up before we started.

“We made really good use of the conditions with the ball. We took early wickets, kept the pressure on and bossed it for large parts of the game.

“But we came out with the bat and it’s difficult to say we did too much wrong, to be honest. We were a little bit light in our depth and they exploited that.

“They had a plan about how they went about it. They put us under a lot of pressure, I think they were quite confident about defending it in a way and it probably showed.

“It is disappointing but we can’t really have too many complaints, other than the surface not being what you’d expect at that level, but it is what it is.”

The result leaves Martinstown second from bottom of the Dorset Funeral Plan Premier League at present.

Nichols’ men have mustered 25 points from their opening three games, but are still 15 points clear of Shillingstone, who are the only side in the division yet to win a game.

Martinstown host Wimborne & Colehill at Lower Ashton Farm on Saturday (1pm).