MARTINSTOWN 96 (2pts) lost to POOLE TOWN 97-4 (18pts) by six wickets

STRUGGLES with the bat struck Martinstown at Lower Ashton Farm as they were put to the sword by a ruthless Poole side in the Dorset Funeral Plan Premier Division.

Having lost the toss and been put in by their visitors, the home side struggled to build any real momentum with the bat and were skittled out for just 96 from 32.5 overs.

Skipper Ed Nichols continued his fine form for the villagers with a fluent 42 from 40 deliveries but, apart from Ryan Chase down the order with 19, no other Martinstown batsman reached double figures, as they posted a miserly total for Poole to chase.

And the current league leaders knocked the runs off in quick time, using just 18.3 overs to get to their victory target, Lewis Marais top scored with 32 for the away side.

There were some positives with the ball for Nichols’ men as James Pickering picked up 1-15 and Sam Kershaw produced a flurry of wickets in quick succession, with three victims in four balls to return 3-27.

But overall it was a bad day for Nichols’ men and one the skipper is keen to write off.

He told Echosport: “Overall I think we just didn’t show enough fight to post a total.

“They won the toss and bowled in fairly favourable conditions but that was no real excuse.

“You can’t fail to score 100 really, there is no excuse for that.

“They just sensed that once they got into us they could turn us over and they were just ruthless about it really.

“As a group we just have to put a more consistent team out there. If you keep making a handful of changes every week you can’t get any rhythm of consistency together. That’s a big thing.”

On his own form, Nichols’ who also made 76 the previous week against Shillingstone, added: “I’m personally feeling in good touch but it’s not much solace when we don’t get a score or give ourselves a chance.

“I’ll be honest, I probably benefitted from most of the loose deliveries (on Saturday) they did bowl. I seemed to be at the right end to get the full toss or half volley.

“Our pitch has always got a nice pace to it so, if you do get a bad ball, it’s there to put away. It was a little bit more exciting than my usual efforts.”

The defeat means Martinstown currently sit seventh in the league table.