SWANAGE 346 (20pts) beat WEYMOUTH 137 (7pts) by 209 runs

SWANAGE heaped more misery on Weymouth’s lowly Premier League season as the Seasiders were sunk by a mammoth 209 runs, recording their 13th straight league loss since the back end of last summer.

Fielding another under-strength side full of changes from the previous week, Weymouth lost the toss and were asked to field.

And hosts Swanage got off to a flyer with opener Mike Salmon bludgeoning 62 off just 28 balls, as the Swans put on 95 for the first wicket in rapid time.

Ian Booth then recorded back-to-back centuries when he came to the crease, taking only 62 balls to reach 128 before being caught by Seasiders’ chairman John Ryan off the bowling of Simon Browne. He was also dropped on around 30.

Ben Baczala also contributed 60 with the bat for the home side, as Weymouth eventually bowled Swanage out for 346 in 49.4 overs.

Ryan, who claimed the wicket of Baczala, told Echosport: “A lot of people’s feelings could be ‘oh we are going to go up there and get thumped, let’s bat first and get it over with’. That’s a defeatist attitude whichever way you go.

“Our theory was that if they didn’t choose to bat first we were going to bowl first anyway.

“Despite getting hit around the field a bit, you don’t learn anything from going up there, getting bowled out for 80, and being home by five o’clock.

“Harry Mitchell (2-47) bowled well. He only got hit for four boundaries in 10 overs, which is good for a youngster.

“They were aggressive and attacking with the bat on a short boundary.”

Following the break, the spirited Seasiders knew the run-chase was always going to be a tough ask.

Opener Tony Quayle stood firm to face 109 balls in his innings of 34, but wickets tumbled far too regularly for the visitors.

Swanage spinner Jem Warner, who has broken through on the Minor Counties scene for Dorset this season, showed his class with figures of 4-20 from his 10 overs.

Weymouth were eventually bowled out one ball short of their allotted 50 overs for 137, meaning Swanage claimed maximum points from the clash.

“We went up there with a positive attitude and the atmosphere was good. There was a lot of sympathy from the Swanage faithful, who could see our predicament,” Ryan added.

“They played hard and fair. We took pride from the fact that we restricted them slightly after they got away to an absolute flyer.”