CRANBORNE 335-8 (20pts) beat CHARLTON DOWN 271-9 (9pts) by 64 runs
CRANBORNE came out victors by 64 runs in a high-scoring affair where over 600 runs were scored in a match littered with dropped catches from both teams in their County Division Two clash.
Cranborne won the toss, elected to bat first and made the most of the 14 catches spilled in an extraordinary match of poor fielding by both teams.
Scott Maidment hit a fantastic century en route to scoring 114 and formed part of a superb 173 opening partnership with Michael Thomas (82) in only 22 overs and benefitted with at least three dropped catches each and numerous half chances.
With a score of 400-plus looking likely, Charlton made various changes in bowling which included all but the wicketkeeper, but their efforts resulted in similar outcomes and more dropped catches.
It was only when Cranborne were 223-1 that Charlton struck twice in quick succession.
Javed Gill (2-41) bowled the centurion Maidment and a brilliant reaction catch off own bowling stemmed the flow of runs.
Tucker (1-19) also stemmed the runs from the opposite end reducing Cranborne to 248-4 off 35 overs.
Marc Harris then smashed a quickfire 68 and was also gifted a number of lives but ensured the Cranborne innings passed the 300 mark. The returning Matt Stevens (3-37) took three quick wickets and their innings closed on 335-8.
The Charlton Down innings started briskly with 58 runs coming from the first 10 overs as Jack Eveleigh and Sam Roles regularly hit boundaries.
It was Dorset Over 50’s all rounder Phil Parks (2-25) who struck first removing Eveleigh (19) and then Nick Voss (10).
When Harris dismissed Roles for 32 with the score on 69-3 the winning total looked well in the distance.
However a 50-run partnership between Matt Stevens and Kim Park had steadied the innings but two quick wickets fell with the score on 116-5.
Stevens and Mark Homewood set about the Cranborne bowling and another 50 runs were added swiftly before Stevens fell for a great innings of 69 with the score on 189-7.
It was the hard-hitting Homewood who took over from Stevens and smashed a half century, including 10 boundaries with the help of James Pretty (18).
His efforts helped Charlton Down to 271-9 and maximum batting points but Charlton could not rescue a win.
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