MARNHULL 253 (20pts) beat WEYMOUTH 163 (8pts) by 90 runs

WEYMOUTH’S rollercoaster season in the Dorset Premier League suffered another big dip on Saturday in a shock defeat at basement boys Marnhull.

After the previous week’s sensational last-ball victory over Ferndown Wayfarers, the Seasiders went into the contest full of confidence only to have their hopes shattered in mind-boggling fashion.

The afternoon could not have started any better for Wey-mouth with Dan Hutchens (2-9) dismissing Simon Hasted and Andy Booth for ducks in the first over.

It was a devastating opening to proceedings by the ruthless frontline bowler and at 2-0 it was clear Marnhull were shell-shocked.

However, just seven deliveries later, the hosts then profited from a cruel twist of fate when Hutchens rolled is ankle whilst steaming in to try and snare another victim.

His injury weakened Weymouth but the full extent of the blow was not felt until later in the innings.

Andy Binnington (15) and Nigel Dawe (26) managed to put on 41 for the third wicket but the Seasiders then hit back through Andy Falloon (1-17), Ben Doidge (4-73) and Laurie Whyte (2-51) to reduce Marn-hull to 109-8.

There looked no way back for the hosts at that stage but with Weymouth’s bowling attack stretched and tiring, their tail-enders began to bludgeon the ball to all parts of the ground in an astonishing turnaround.

Simon Sweatman (54) led the onslaught and was joined by Edwin Ralph (44) and Danny Williams (36), who between them put on 144 for the last two wickets, to take their side to a total of 253.

Now it was Weymouth’s turn to be shell-shocked and in truth they never recovered. Sean Fitzgerald (49) and Dean Janaway (33) dug in and put on a fourth-wicket stand of 78 to take the visitors from 46-3 to 124-3 but when Sweatman caught the former off the bowling of Booth, the Seasiders’ resilience faltered with the next seven wickets falling for just 39 runs.

At the close of play, Weymouth skipper Paul Payne, not for the first time this summer, was left dumbfounded by the afternoon’s events, which have once again pushed his side into the mire of a potential battle against relegation.

He said: “In the first 20 overs, we bowled well and fielded superbly but later in the innings we started to miss Dan.

“We tried to get through with what we had but Marnhull’s tail-enders began to throw their bat at it and in the end they made 253 from being 109-8.

“It was a disappointing end to the innings but with every touch going to the boundary we still felt confident of knocking the runs off in reply.

“However, we only had one real partnership, and with no one going on to make a big score we crashed all out for 163.

“Losing a frontline bowler in only the third over was without a doubt a big blow for us but we should have batted better and from the position we were in midway through their innings there can be no excuses.

“All season we have been playing great cricket but for some reason we haven’t always been able to carry it on through to the end of games, and that is exactly what happened again on Saturday.”