Standing strong (From Dorset Echo)

Standing strong

9:07am Monday 6th July 2009 in

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WIMBORNE & COLEHILL 279-8 (7pts) lost to DORCHESTER 280-4 (19pts) by six wickets

LEE Haynes and Paul Tweddle’s second-wicket stand of 150 helped pave the way for a successful run chase from Dorchester at the Rec.

Wimborne & Colehill must have thought they were in with a shout of stopping the rot of seven straight defeats when they posted 279 from their 50 overs.

But a terrific partnership from Haynes (82) and Tweddle (69) put Dorchester in the driving seat before Rob Waite (45 not out) and skipper Martyn Richards (17 not out) saw the hosts over the finish line with 3.2 overs to spare.

Richards, whose side secured back-to-back wins in the process, said: “I fancied Dan Belt and Rob Waite to take some wickets early doors but that didn’t quite happen. We didn’t have a lot of luck, they took their chances and put on a good total.

“Steve Gerety once again got us off to a great start but Paul Tweddle and Lee Haynes put on a fantastic partnership of 150 for the second wicket to put us into a fantastic position.

“We were hoping to get to about 200 after 40 overs but we got beyond that as it were and it was nice for Rob and I, a couple of Thomas Hardye boys, to see us home.

“It was also pleasing for the likes of Paul and Lee, who perhaps haven’t had the luck they deserve at times, to see their hard work come to fruition and get good scores.

“The key is to always think positive and not look at the scoreboard and worry about trying to get five an over or whatever. Throughout the innings we were putting the bad balls away and running the singles hard so we were scoring at greater than five an over, which gave us some breathing space at the end.

“Wimborne & Colehill have been scoring well but not defending so we fancied our chances of chasing down a total. I didn’t quite expect them to get 279 against the likes of Dan, Rob and Phil Morley but all in all we finished strongly and have kept our good form going.

“I also was pleased with 16-year-olds Nick Roe and Hugh Pryce, who were both sensational.”

Dorchester won the toss and put the visitors into bat. However, Wimborne & Colehill’s opening duo of Colin Randall (67) and A Hayward (38) started with confidence and withstood the attack of Dan Belt (1-44) and Waite (0-53).

The pair though, eventually fell victim to Richards (2-55) and Steve Gerety (1-70) before G Cole (48) and D Guest (39) helped push the away side’s tally beyond 200.

But once those two had been removed, Wimborne & Colehill suffered a mini-collapse, losing four wickets for just 11 runs with Phil Morley (3-42) the chief benefactor.

In the end, the visitors saw out the innings with 279 to show for their efforts. Although 30 runs of that total came via extras.

In reply, Gerety (36) got the hosts off to the desired start until he was caught by G Cormack off the bowling of Jones (1-37).

Luckily for the county town, Haynes and Tweddle expertly protected the second wicket.

After the latter was dismissed with the score on 193, the former followed just five runs later.

Belt though added a further 13 before Waite and Richards completed the job, with Waite smashing a four to clinch victory in the first Dorset Premier League game utilising the new Doug Read scorebox.

Richards added: “Doug would have enjoyed the game as there were lots of runs, a lot of young players on both teams and it ended in a Dorchester victory.”