CORFE MULLEN 140-9 (6pts) lost to ABBOTSBURY 141-7 (18pts) by 3 wickets

ABBOTSBURY bounced back from last week’s first loss of the season by defeating Corfe Mullen in County Division Four.

The Swans were asked to bowl first by home skipper Nigel Stannard after winning the toss on a pitch that proved difficult for batting due to inconsistent bounce.

Peter Phillips and Neil Wallace opened for Corfe and took the score on to 18 before spinner Krish Subramanian (1-11) induced Phillips (8) into edging to second slip.

However, the incoming Dan Flooks looked a threat as he swatted a series of boundaries, with Chas Duerdoth serving up some uncharacteristically loose deliveries.

Wallace was also batting comfortably but it was Swans’ skipper Simon Pengelly’s decision to bring medium pacer Pete Lawrence into the attack that brought immediate reward as Walpole (24) dollied up a simple catch to Fred Pittman at gully.

Lawrence then found further success as low bounce aided the dismissal of Matt Meredith, who was bowled for six, Stannard (9) steered a catch down the throat of Duerdoth at backward square leg and Flooks (29) was trapped lbw.

With Duerdoth (1-33) picking up a wicket in his second spell and Aaron Oliver (2-23) weighing in with a brace Corfe finished on 139-9, Ben Jones remaining not out on 23 and Lawrence the pick of the Swans’ attack with 4-38.

In reply, Abbotsbury openers Simon Pengelly and Stuart Gill fended off the Corfe attack until the 10th over when Pengelly (17) suffered a leading edge to be caught and bowled by Stannard (3-10) and was followed by the incoming Steve Budd for a duck.

Run scoring was proving a tough task and Gill (14) fell to an excellent catch as his straight drive was well taken by a diving Flooks (2-29) off his own bowling.

Nick Kneebone (8) stuck around for a while before being stumped but mid-order batsman Duerdoth found the bowling more to his liking with some lusty blows causing the infield to scatter.

At 73-5 in the 24th over, the result was still in the balance but Duerdoth kept the scoreboard moving and good support from Simon Allen (11) settled Abbotsbury nerves.

Some wayward bowling also aided the Swans as the extras column proved to be the second highest scorer behind lynchpin Duerdoth who smashed a six late on to finish on 61 not out and guide his team over the line with three overs to spare.

*Abbotsbury CC are sponsored by Bride Valley Motors