DORSET were left to rue some poor batting as they crashed out of the MCCA Trophy at the semi-final stage against Cumberland at Dean Park.

Put in to bat by the visitors, Dorset were rocked early on as Richard Gleeson dismissed Nick Park (7), Aaron Williams (5) and Chris Jones (4) to leave the hosts struggling on 37 for four.

Darren Cowley (11), Masoor Khan (8) and Tom Hicks (14) all departed, before Chris Park’s 50 alongside Ed Denham (19) and Mark Wolstenholme (36 not out) helped Dorset to a respectable 184.

In reply, Cumberland’s James Lowe made steady inroads into the hosts’ total, although Josh Tolley and Ryan Brown both departed with Wolstenholme and Jack Leach striking.

Lowe was then joined at the crease by former first-class batsman Gary Pratt, best known for running out Australia’s Ricky Ponting while a substitute fielder for England during the 2005 Ashes series.

Pratt and Lowe put on 20 for the third wicket, before Lowe (41) was caught by Williams off the bowling of Cowley.

But although Leach bowled Liam Livingstone for a duck, Pratt and Alex Atkinson shared in a stand of 42 as Cumberland edged nearer their target.

Cowley, though, dismissed Chris Thompson, while Atkinson was run out, leaving the visitors needing 14 from the final two overs.

Pratt (69 not out) and Chris Williams (20 not out), however, scored 12 from the penultimate over off Ed Denham and completed the job with three balls and four wickets to spare.