DORCHESTER 104-1 (20pts) beat SHERBORNE 103 (1pt) by nine wickets

DORCHESTER erased last week’s disappointing derby defeat to Martinstown with a nine-wicket demolition of Sherborne at Dorchester Rec in the Dorset Funeral Plan Premier League.

Josh Richardson (5-35) and James Dunham (4-36) were the architects of Sherborne’s downfall as the two opening bowlers caused mayhem in the Sherborne batting ranks.

Only Tom Harris (47) disrupted the Dorchester bowlers’ procession but he was bowled by skipper Simon Mitchem (1-0) to set a simple 104 target.

Despite losing Dan Belt (7) to Paul Hancock (1-25), Will McKay (52no) and Mitchem (28no) polished off the runs in 30.2 overs to claim a maximum-point victory.

In a near perfect response to last week’s result, Dorchester had Sherborne in disarray as Richardson and Dunham ran riot.

Dunham accounted for Luke Hancock (10) and Mark Hancock (1) to leave Sherborne on 16-2, before Richardson bowled both Emyln Kuhn (14) and Ryan Monk (0) to reduce the visitors to 27-4.

Daniel Baker (2) then perished to Dunham before Richardson claimed his fifer with the wickets of Tim Durston (3), David Barnstable (4) and Richard Carter (4).

At that stage, Sherborne were heavily wounded on 63-8 and only Harris’ knock got the away side into triple figures, his innings including seven fours and a six from 82 balls.

Dorchester were checked early in their reply thanks to a superb catch from Kuhn to dismiss Belt, but McKay and Mitchem went about their business calmly to reassert their side’s title challenge.

Club captain Mitchem admitted to Echosport that he was “surprised” to have bowled Sherborne out for 103 and was delighted by a display he felt his team required.

He said: “If you said to me before the game that we would bowl them out for 103 I would have been very surprised but we are capable of doing that.

“After last week it was a performance that we needed. It was nice that we came out all guns blazing and did the job.

“It was good to bounce back. We were all really disappointed from last week. It was really good to get back to winning ways.”

Dorchester lost Quenton Miller and Dan Morris late in the week to work commitments and illness respectively, but Mitchem hailed the return of Dunham to the side as a “massive boost”.

“It was a massive boost to have James back in the team. The pitch was a bit up and down but take nothing away from him and Josh. It was a bit of a shame they both couldn’t get five.

“We batted sensibly and I was very pleased with the way we went about chasing down the total,” he said.

The win keeps Dorchester in the title race, with Mitchem adding: “We have got some big games coming up so we have to make sure we are still in with a chance.

“This result was massively important to get back on track and not let the gap get too big.”

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