WEYMOUTH 194 (8pts) lost to FERNDOWN WAYFARERS 195-8 (20pts) by two wickets

IT was a case of the good, the bad and the ugly at Dolmans Farm as Weymouth suffered a frustrating two-wicket defeat at the hands of Ferndown Wayfarers in the Dorset Premier Division.

After a poor start with the bat, the Seasiders set a target of 194 but after reducing the hosts to 7-3, they failed to drive home their advantage as Dorset star Eric Linge (60) and Neil Sexton (73) put on a fourth-wicket stand of 138, to turn the game completely on its head.

Weymouth’s Dave Trotter, who snared 1-23, told Echosport: “We probably needed just over 200 but 194 should have still been enough.

“However, we didn’t really bowl very well and frustratingly we let the game slip away.

“It wasn’t a lack of effort because everyone tried their best it was just that we seemed to go a bit flat halfway through their innings.

“We had ripped through the top-order and had them struggling on 7-3 but the next pair then came together and put the majority of the runs on.

“Matt Lawes took 4-51, Rob Nobbs bowled well in his first game back and Dean Janaway did well when he came on but in truth I think we just lacked another strike bowler.

“Towards the end we still had them nervous, as we only needed two wickets for the draw and I thought we might still do it but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.”

Trotter went on to say: “It was a long way to go for just eight points and in many ways we just didn’t seem to get that bit of luck.

“We kept beating the bat but just couldn’t find the edge and decisions did not go our way but that happens sometimes.

“The important thing is that we are gelling well as a team and it is clear we are not far away.

“At times during the game we were very good but we just need to find that bit of consistency now to really push on.”

Despite being without Kieron Womble, Laurie ‘Cube’ Whyte and Dan Hutchens, Weymouth turned up in Ferndown with high hopes following the previous week’s victory against Blandford, but they soon found themselves under pressure.

Hayden White, who scored a wonderful century last time out, fell for just one before Janaway followed suit for a duck as Linge (3-27) tore into the top order with devastating effect.

Robbie Stammas (1-30) then trapped Jim Ryall (13) leg before to leave the visitors on 29-3 and in desperate need of a boost.

Paul Payne (23) and Tom England (22) provided it with a fourth-wicket partnership of 47 but both men failed to last the distance as Ferndown continued to make breakthroughs.

Simon Browne (33 not out) then put up fierce resistance towards the end of the innings but top scorer was the extras column with 54, which gave Weymouth a great chance despite their below-par display with the willow.

In fact, when Trotter and Lawes removed the home side’s top-three batsmen for just seven runs it appeared the Seasiders were in full control but Linge and Sexton had very different ideas.

The pair produced a flurry of boundaries between them to take their side to 145 before Linge finally edged a delivery from Lawes through to the gloves of Ryall.

However, Sexton still refused to budge and although he did eventually fall to Janaway (2-26), it was too little, too late as Wayfarers reached their target with two wickets and 13.1 overs to spare.

Once again the extras column (39) made grim reading as Weymouth left Dolmans clearly thinking what might have been.