CHARLTON DOWN 238-7 (18pts) beat SHAFTESBURY 112-6 (5pts) by 126 runs

CHARLTON Down moved a step closer to County Division Four with a crushing 126-run victory over Shaftesbury to end their rivals’ promotion hopes.

Last weekend’s results in Division Five means there is a three-horse race between Charlton Down, Puddletown and Blandford Seconds for the top two positions.

Charlton Down openers Jack Eveleigh and Jae Miller batted well against the new ball, though Chris White (1-31) bowled with great control and conceded only 11 runs from his first five overs.

A change in bowling saw Mark Lewis (1-44) take the first wicket when Miller toe-ended a simple catch to cover for 26 with the score on 44-1.

The second-wicket partnership of 96 between teenagers Eveleigh and Nick Voss saw the game move away from Shaftesbury.

With the total on 140-2, Voss was eventually well caught by Leonard for 45 as he looked to up the run rate.

Eveleigh’s continued his good form by reaching a second half-century of the season with a sublime straight drive to the boundary – he then brought up maximum batting points with a cut to the point boundary.

Eveleigh’s departure for 62 brought USA-bound Sam Roles to the crease and his 50 arrived in only 30 balls with a big six.

Roles was bowled by Rob Bryant for 52 with the score on 220-5, then Kim Park, Alex Campbell and Rob Rutter added quick runs as the innings drew to a close on 238-7.

The Shaftesbury batsmen had no answer to the bowling of brothers Matt Stevens (1-12) and Dan Stevens (0-13).

Dave Toogood fell to a lovely ball early on from Matt Stevens which nipped back between bat and pad to knock the middle stump out of the ground.

At the 15-over drinks break the visitors were 24-1, still needing more than 200 from 25 overs.

Campbell bowled well, dismissing White and Tom Bradford for one each in consecutive overs, while Roles took a brilliant diving caught and bowled to remove Dan Ling.

A 63-run partnership between Kev Martin and captain Rob Bryant saw the score to 102-5.

Martin’s innings included five boundaries before a simple caught and bowled by Park (2-41), who then had Langhorne leg before as the innings closed on 112-6.

A defiant 58 from Bryant was the highlight of the Shaftesbury reply.

Home captain Pete Tucker said: “It was another match where the batsmen set up the win with some very patient and then explosive batting.

“The young bowlers then made it impossible for the senior opposition batsmen to score easy runs.”