DORCHESTER II 214-4 (19pts) beat STALBRIDGE II 209-9 (10pts) by 5 runs

ALEX Horne held his nerve in the final over to ensure Dorchester completed a County Division Three double over Stalbridge Seconds.

After county town captain Stuart Beasley lost the toss and his side were put in to bat, Eiron Fitzgerald was soon back in the pavilion having been caught behind for five.

Malcolm Stroudley joined Bobby Chawla, who was playing his strokes with great freedom and finding the boundary at regular intervals.

Stroudley was the next to go when he was trapped leg before for eight, before Ian Legg, playing his first game of the season, followed in the same manner shortly after for one.

With the visitors struggling, Mike Peak accompanied Chawla (89) and together they rebuilt the innings, both despatching any bad balls to the boundary.

Chawla’s stay came to an end when he gifted a catch to a fielder in the covers.

Skipper Beasley joined Peak with five overs to go and the two set about posting a score of 200 or more.

And they did just that, with Peak finishing unbeaten on 49 and Beasley 43 not out.

Peak (1-33) and Beasley (2-37) then opened the bowling, but after only his third over the latter couldn’t carry on and he was replaced by Will Channon.

The change bowler got the breakthrough in his first over when he had the Stalbridge opener caught behind for nine.

Channon claimed the next two wickets to deal a huge blow to the hosts’ chances.

Chawla (2-46) came on to replace the unlucky Peak and tied down an end while Channon (4-29) was still bowling with pace that was simply unplayable.

Further wickets fell to Chawla and the returning Beasley, whose comeback actually featured two dismissals in quick succession.

Peak and Channon removed numbers eight and nine and victory seemed imminent for the visitors.

However, the last two Stalbridge batsmen dug in and they needed nine off the last over to win the game themselves.

But Horne kept his composure and with Stalbridge requiring six off the last delivery there was only going to be one outcome.

“This was a fantastic win and another great double,” said Beasley. “The whole team played well and backed the bowlers up with their fielding.

“We have Weymouth this Saturday and will be looking for another double.”