STALBRIDGE 129 (16pts) beat DORCHESTER 75 (5pts) by 54 runs

AN INEPT performance with the bat saw Dorchester skittled out for just 75 on Saturday, as Simon Mitchem’s team lost a low-scoring encounter at Stalbridge.

The visitors’ display in the field was a big improvement on the previous weekend against Swanage, but their batting left a lot to be desired.

Dorchester now sit bottom of the Dorset Premier League after defeats in their first two games of the new season.

The day began well for the county town outfit with Shaun Little (2-10) and skipper Mitchem (3-18) helping to bowl out Stalbridge for just 129.

But, after losing a couple of early wickets in their reply, Dorchester were never in contention and their disastrous innings finally came to an end in the 38th over.

“We bowled and fielded really well,” said Mitchem. “We couldn’t have done much more with the ball.

“The bowling and fielding was a massive improvement on the previous week, and Sean Fitzgerald also kept wicket superbly.

“We did everything right in the field and were really upbeat after limiting them to less than 130.”

He continued: “We had a really bad start with the bat and I went in when we were something like 15-3, and that just shouldn’t be happening.

“A few players got themselves out and a couple hung around at the crease before we were all out.

“It was so disappointing because we were so much better in the field than we had been against Swanage.

“Some of our players lost their wickets through individual mistakes, and we’ve got to stop getting out to bad shots.

“We need someone every week who is going to get between 70 and 100 because that’s not happening at the moment.”

Mitchem is well aware just how much bigger the upcoming derby against Weymouth is now given both sides’ poor starts to the campaign.

“Everybody wants to put things right,” he added. “And like Sean said after the game, we’ve got to take what we did in the field and build from that.

“We are two games down now and it would have been nice to have won at least one of them.

“The game against Weymouth this weekend is really big for both teams.”

In County Division Three, Dorchester Seconds beat Stalbridge Seconds by 55 runs at Dorchester Rec.

Stuart Beasley’s side are third in the table, one point behind leaders Ashmore.