WEYMOUTH 209-7 (19pts) beat MARTINSTOWN 141 (5pts) by 68 runs

IT has been a long time coming but Weymouth have finally ended their losing streak in the Dorset Premier League.

Their run of 20 consecutive losses, 14 of which have come in the top flight this season, was broken thanks to a 68-run triumph over Martinstown.

Stand-in skipper Will McKay was the hero for the Seasiders, who batted first at Lower Ashton Farm.

After a couple of early wickets fell, he helped re-build with all-rounder Simon Browne and then accelerated to record an unbeaten 97 as the visitors posted 209-7 from their 50 overs.

With the total still in Martinstown’s sights after they set a good platform, paceman Alex Mortimore was brought on and ripped out the hosts’ top order with figures of 4-28 to set up a memorable victory, Weymouth’s first in more than a year.

“It was nice to be able to enjoy a Saturday evening without walking into the pub and hearing ‘so how many did you lose by today?’,” all-rounder Browne told Echosport.

“We can finally say that we are not going through the season without winning. It was really good.

“To be fair to Martinstown, they bowled really well early on.

“I went in at four and they were bowling that well it was a case of survival more than anything else. Will and I knew we needed to stick around.

“We managed to give ourselves a platform and had guys coming in who were capable of hitting a quick 20 or 30 and that’s what they did.

“Will batted really well and finished 97 not out, we knew what score he was on and he needed a four off his last ball and got a single but he batted superbly and deserved a hundred.”

Reflecting on his side’s defeat, their 11th of the season, Martinstown captain Ed Nichols added: “We got a couple of early wickets but we dropped catches from then on.

“The stand-out innings of the day was Will McKay, who batted from the third over to the end and that is the sort of innings you need really.

“We got ourselves to almost 50-1 which is the base we needed but Alex Mortimore found a really good spell from somewhere.

“He just ripped through us really, he really put them in the box seat.”