CHARLTON DOWN 183 (19pts) beat BLANDFORD II 166-9 (12pts) by 17 runs

CHARLTON Down earned a nail-biting 17-run victory over a Blandford team laden with experience.

Sam Roles, 19, produced a great all-round performance for Charlton, taking four wickets, three catches and scoring 25 runs.

After losing the toss and being put into bat, visiting Charlton made progress through Jack Eveleigh (21) and Jae Miller (77).

The 20-over drinks break saw the score on 75-0 and the base had been set for a score in excess of 200. The opening partnership was eventually broken on 82 with a brilliant run out of Eveleigh by home captain Kevin Abbott.

Nick Voss and Miller pushed the score to 110 before Voss was well caught by Kevin Abbott high above his head off Andy Sullivan.

Sullivan struck again 10 runs later to remove Miller after a two-hour stay at the crease.

As Charlton pushed to increase the run-rate there was a middle-order collapse where four wickets were lost for only 22 runs.

Reducing the visitors to 147-6 had happened following the introduction to the Blandford attack of experienced bowlers Sullivan (3-35) and Dave Abbott (1-20).

It was left to Roles (25) and Matt Stevens (28) to play some classy cuts and drives to guide the team to maximum batting points and set a competitive 184 to win.

The strong Blandford batting line-up were soon in trouble when Matt Stevens (2-30) struck twice in his second over to dismiss Dave Baker and James Mitchell.

Brothers Matt and Dan Stevens bowled beautifully and were unlucky not to pick up further wickets as they continued to beat the outside edge.

Roles (4-31) then removed Sam Rimmer with a full toss which he smashed to a diving Miller.

And 40-3 soon became 53-4 when the hard-hitting Sullivan was snapped up by Eveleigh off Roles for 32.

Kevin Abbott and Adam Wates added a quick 30 before Eveleigh picked up his third catch.

Two more quick wickets fell as Kim Park (2-28) had Wates brilliantly caught by the diving Roles and then bowled former Dorset man Colin Moxam.

When Roles secured his fourth wicket with a high caught and bowled the game looked over, but Tim Waggott and Dave Abbott had other ideas.

Some lusty blows saw the Blandford total pass the 100 mark and the 50-run partnership took it past 150.

With six overs left Pete Tucker and 17-year-old Nick Voss combined to deny Blandford.

Tucker struck to remove Waggott (25) and both bowlers thwarted Abbott (37no).

attempts to find the boundary as a tense victory went to Charlton Down.