WIMBORNE & COLEHILL 214 (19pts) beat MARTINSTOWN 169 (8pts) by 45 runs

MARTINSTOWN lost at home for the second Saturday running as they went down to Wimborne & Colehill by 45 runs.

After useful contributions from Tom Caines (36) and Simon Woodruff (39), James Williams (57) compiled a crucial half-century to help take the visitors past 200.

Williams’ eighth-wicket stand of 48 with Graham Cole (15) was also key to James Miller’s men posting a total they could defend.

Matt Camp (3-27) proved to be the pick of the Martinstown bowlers, while Chris Read (2-33), Sam Kershaw (2-45), Tom Nicholls (1-42) and Ross Stewart (1-32) also chipped in with wickets.

The hosts began their reply with skipper Ed Nichols and Lee House putting on 26 for the first wicket.

House was caught off the bowling of visiting captain Williams for nine but Nichols and Steve Gerety (17) added a further 42.

However, when Gerety went Nichols and Dave Herbert followed soon after for 33 and nine respectively.

Kershaw (0) became Harry Beardsley’s third victim and Liam Banfield could only make three, leaving the home side really up against it on 107-6.

A rearguard action then followed from Stewart as he hit five boundaries and two maximums in a 38-ball 45.

After he perished, Camp (13) and Nicholls (23) added 35 for the eighth wicket but it wasn’t to be.

The last three Martinstown wickets fell for just four runs with Joe Weld (2-7) taking two of them.

“We bowled really well pretty much all the way through their innings,” said Nichols. “We were quite happy to give them 214 as that score was a bit below par for our ground.

“We had a good start with the bat as well but made careless mistakes against spin in the middle overs.

“Most of our wickets fell to short balls off spin, either with top edges or shots off full tosses that went to the fielders.

“Ross Stewart batted well and hit the ball cleanly, and it looked like he would get us over the line but it didn’t happen.”

Martinstown, who travel to Swanage this Saturday, sit sixth in the Dorset Premier League after the first three matches of the season.

There was a more comprehensive defeat for Martinstown Seconds in County Division Five.

They were beaten by 102 runs at Shaftesbury after being limited to 139-6 chasing the hosts’ 241-3.

Chalke Valley take on the second XI at Lower Ashton Farm this weekend.