MARTINSTOWN 164 (5pts) lost to SHERBORNE 165-4 (20pts) by six wickets

IT was home despair yet again for Martinstown as table-toppers Sherborne proved far too much for captain Ed Nichols’ men to handle.

The league leaders inflicted the hosts’ fourth loss at Lower Ashton Farm this season, with all-rounder Shane Snater performing well with both bat and ball.

Opening the bowling for Sherborne after Martinstown won the toss and elected to bat, Snater claimed two victims for just 29 runs including two of the home team’s top three batsmen.

With Nichols back in the hutch for just one and his side struggling on 26-4, some middle order resistance, including a wellplayed 42 from youngster Teddy Andrews saw the hosts get to 164 before they were bowled out in just 34.4 overs.

Snater then showed his credentials with the bat as the sides turned around, hitting 10 fours and two sixes in a knock of 69 to guide Sherborne home with six wickets and more than 20 overs to spare.

That in turn heaped more home misery on skipper Nichols, but he is determined not to panic about their lack of success on their own turf.

Commenting on their search for victory at Lower Ashton Farm, he told Echosport: “It’s just one of those quirks I think.

“It is just odd because, until this year, to use the cliché, it has been a bit of a fortress. We have really won the vast majority of our games there.

“We have had a little chat and one of the things we are doing at home is scoring at nearly six runs an over but not batting the full 50 overs and that makes a big difference.

“It may be a case of just reigning it in and, although it is a nice track, we need to give ourselves the time to get in and make use of it rather than play shots from ball one.”

On the game itself, Nicholls took heart from the display of prospect Andrews, who also returned 1-26 with the ball.

“Teddy was the real positive of the day,” the captain claimed.

“He is a 17-year-old lad who has come up through the youth system and typifies what we are about.

“He looked really authoritative with the bat and stood tall to look more of a proper batsman than he has before. With the ball it was a brilliant spell. The ball he got their number-four out with was an absolute jaffa.”