CHARLTON DOWN 257 (12pts) lost to WEYMOUTH 262-8 (20pts) by five runs

CHARLTON Down came within six runs of upsetting promotion-chasing Weymouth in a thrilling County Division Two derby at the Herrison Oval.

Needing six to win from the final over, Mark Homewood (0) smeared a return catch to Shafeek Urumancheri (2-41) as the Seasiders crept over the line.

Earlier, Weymouth skipper Harry Mitchell won the toss and elected to bat on a baking hot day. Makeshift opener Urumancheri (9) was the first to fall as Homewood (3-42) claimed the first of three victims.

But fellow opener John Wilson was in majestic form, clobbering 13 fours and five sixes in a brutal 95 until he was given lbw to the part-time bowling of Sam Roles (2-34) as Weymouth quickly reached 126-2.

Dom Webb (46), Simon Browne (43) and a rapid 37 off 24 balls from Jack Sapsworth helped Weymouth to 262-8 from their 45 overs – spinner Kim Park receiving particular punishment with 2-71 from eight overs.

Weymouth had early joy in Down’s reply as Jack Eveleigh (8) and Roger Frapwell (1) fell to Andy Anderson (2-54) and Lloyd Beals (2-32) respectively.

Roles (57) played a typically aggressive innings but fell to Mitchell (2-29), who also removed Matt Stevens (24).

Jae Miller (59) took up Roles’ mantle but Anderson returned to oust him, leaving Marc Spurway (51no) to hit three gigantic sixes as Down threatened to win.

But Urumancheri’s late intervention ensured Weymouth collected their fourth consecutive win to move into third place after ex-leaders Witchampton were bowled out for 80 at Cranborne.

Speaking to Echosport after the game, Mitchell felt Weymouth had won “ugly” but hailed Wilson’s innings as “breathtaking”.

He said: “Derby days are tense until the last ball is bowled so to come out the other side with a win is the most pleasing thing.

“We won ugly – it wasn’t pretty – trying to give away singles to save the boundaries wasn’t the most conventional way of playing cricket.

“We knew they had to score at 10 an over for large periods, so we thought ‘save the boundaries’.”

He added: “(John) was breathtaking. After the second or third over he went so hard at the ball. The amount of times you look in the air and think ‘where’s that one going’?

“He played a special knock, played every good ball on its merit and anything loose was going to all places.”

On Weymouth’s bowling, Mitchell said: “The best bowler was Lloyd, coming back with three or four overs to go he took them out of contention and Shafeek could have had four or five.”

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