WEYMOUTH SECONDS 271-8 (20pts) beat CRANBORNE 136 (7pts) by 135 runs

JONNY Armfield and Andy Jarvis made Cranborne pay for fielding just eight players as Weymouth sealed back-to-back victories in Dorset League Division Two.

The basement boys must have been counting their lucky stars when they saw their third-placed opponents turn up in such depleted fashion but they still had to go out and do the business, and they did not disappoint.

Ryan Monk (2) fell early on in their innings but the rest of the top five all contributed with Pete Gordon (49) and Hayden White (26) both scoring quickly before Armfield (81) and Jarvis (56) then came together and put on a formidable stand of 122 for the fourth wicket.

P Park (4-51) and M Harris (3-54) did their best to try and stop the onslaught but despite losing a flurry of late wickets, Weymouth went on to post an imposing total of 271-8.

Already three batsmen down, Cranborne desperately needed a solid start to their reply to stand any chance ,so when openers S Dickinson (4) and R Beacham (10) both departed cheaply, the writing was already on the wall.

D Coy (57 not out) batted superbly for his unbeaten half-century alongside S Taylor (15) and Park (19) but the Seasiders continued to take wickets at regular intervals and eventually skittled the visitors for 136 in the 28th over.

Graham Puckett (1-13), Ryan Sers (1-26) and Monk (1-23) all picked up key wickets but the leading light with the ball for the hosts was Harry Mitchell, who snared 4-28.

Unfortunately for Weymouth, second-bottom Beaminster were also victorious which means the Seasiders still remain 53 points adrift at the foot of the table after incurring a 40-point deduction earlier in the season for scratching a game.

Next up for Michael Pearce’s men is a trip to league leaders Wimborne & Colehill Seconds.