CHARLTON DOWN 284-6 (20pts) beat WAREHAM 143 (6pts) by 141 runs

SAM Roles was the start of the show as unbeaten Charlton Down continued their flawless start to the season, with a crushing 141-run win over Wareham.

The 19-year-old produced a fine knock of 150, which individually eclipsed the Wareham total to make it seven wins from as many completed games this season for the hosts.

After losing the toss, Charlton Down were asked to bat and found opening bowlers Jamie Whyte and Sam Axon bowling a tight line and length with the new ball.

A change of bowling saw the deceptively sharp and impressive Reece Whitty (3-27) remove Jack Eveleigh for 15 with a fantastic reaction slip catch by Oliver Britt.

Two balls later, Nick Voss feather a catch to the safe hands of wicketkeeper Matt Trueman with the score on 32-2.

The match could have been very much different if Wareham’s Mark Swain had not dropped Sam Roles when he was on just nine from a sharp short-pitched ball from Whitty.

A 56-run partnership in only seven overs between Jae Miller and Roles was the start of the Charlton Down recovery.

Miller (22) had batted patiently farming the strike intelligently to the powerful hitting Roles until the former was bowled by Stuart Paton, with the score on 88-3.

Roles and Matt Stevens then added 71 runs in only seven overs before Stevens was out leg before by the returning Whitty for 19 but another partnership of 96 in only 10 overs between Roles and Dan Stevens (37no) moved the game away from Wareham.

Roles punished any short or over pitched ball blasting them to the boundary and proceeded to hit 11 fours and nine sixes.

Jamie Whyte eventually had Roles caught by Ashley Hayes to the relief of his team mates with the score on 255-5. The innings drew to a close on 284-6.

The Wareham run chase got off to the worst possible start when captain Martin Upshall was bowled by Matt Stevens (2-11) in the first over and then Dan Stevens (2-24) bowled Britt in the very next over, leaving Wareham reeling on 2-2.

Trueman (64) batted with great skill and determination rebuilding the Wareham innings with the help of the aggressive Hayes (48) putting together a partnership of 98 before Pete Tucker (2-9) came onto bowl and cleaned up Hayes with the score on 100-3.

This soon become 111 for 3 when Marc Spurway (3-21) had Whitty well caught by Tucker at mid-off.

The returning Stevens brothers had James Paton well caught behind by Voss and an excellent catch by Rob Deadman in the outfield saw Matt Stevens remove Sam Axon with the score on 132-7.

Spurway was then on a hat-trick having Sam Harvey well caught by Javed Gill at mid-wicket and Swain leg before wicket.

It was left to Miller to bowl Jamie Whyte to wrap up the Wareham innings, seeing them lose their last five wickets for only 20 runs.

Speaking after the game, Charlton Down captain Tucker said: “Catches win matches and if Wareham had held onto just two of their catches and we had dropped any of ours, the match would have been a lot closer.

“The winning margin did not reflect the true match and it was just the awesome hitting of Sam Roles creating a brilliant batting performance.

“Sam also claimed the individual club record for the highest score.”

The victory means that Charlton Down move on to 142 points for the campaign do far this season – that is more than any other side across the Dorset League at present. They currently hold a 12-point advantage over second-placed Abbotsbury.