CHARLTON DOWN 186-7 (19pts) beat ABBOTSBURY 183-9 (8pts) by three wickets

CHARLTON Down eventually came out victorious by three wickets, in a very close local derby where the winning runs were hit with only two overs remaining.

Abbotsbury batted first and captain Simon Pengelly led from the front playing cautiously but punishing anything over pitched or wide.

Dan Stevens bowled beautifully and had the batsmen continuously playing and missing with his perfect line, length and away seam movement.

Abbotsbury carefully moved to 45 before a change of bowling saw the evergreen Rich Fagence trap Stuart Gill leg before for 10.

Another promising partnership between Pengelly and Steve Budd was also ended by Fagence when Budd was bowled chopping the ball on to his stumps with the score on 83-2.

The introduction of spin saw Kim Park (2-41) remove the dangerous Chris Backhouse for four, well caught by the diving Sam Roles at cover at 90-3.

Abbotsbury were soon 99-4 when Fagence (3-33) picked up his third and vital wicket of Pengelly leg before for 65.

The score moved on to 165-7 before Dan Stevens (1-29) picked up a well-deserved wicket bowling Pete Lawrence for four and it was left to Roles (1-23) to bowl Krish Subramaniah for 11 as they finished on 183-9.

Charlton Down’s innings started badly losing both openers Jae Miller and Jack Eveleigh with only 20 on the board.

But a patient 35-run partnership between Nick Voss (34) and Roger Frapwell recovered the innings before Frapwell tore a calf muscle and was soon bowled by Duerdoth for 18 with the score on 55-3.

The impressive Chas Duerdoth (2-36) picked up Matt Stevens

for 21 as he tried to manoeuvre the ball into space with the

score on 99-4.

A mini collapse saw Voss and Dan Stevens not adding to the score at 101-6.

As the overs were ticking away, Charlton Down still required 83 runs for victory from 12 overs.

The returning student from the USA, Roles, and Javed Gill upped the run rate and smashed 49 off just six

overs.

Gill (23) was brilliantly caught by Fred Pitman with the score on 150-7.

Still needing 34 runs from seven overs it was Roles, who continued to find the boundary on regular occasions and supported by Park, Roles (49no), hit the winning runs with only 12 balls

remaining.