Cattistock & Symene lose to Puddletown by ten runs

PUDDLETOWN delivered a stunning bowling display as Cattistock & Symene were beaten from a winning position in the Dorset Premier League.

Steve Tucker's Foxes had done superbly well to bowl Puddle out for 113 but then came unstuck with the bat as Ryan Norman took 6-16, the hosts crashing to 103 all out.

Puddletown now go eight points above their winless opponents, who lose ground at the bottom of the table.

George Wyrill (1-17) and Ethan Robertson (1-12) both struck early on after Tucker won the toss and chose to field.

READ MORE: Bere Regis beat Cattistock & Symene by 199 runs

The big partnership of the day then came from James Mitchell (36) and skipper Adam Barrett (16), who shared a half-century stand for the third wicket.

That was until Aaron Baston (2-37), Ollie Legg (2-17) and Luke King (4-10) bulldozed through the remainder of the innings to bowl Puddletown out for 113.

However, stirring up the courage from their victory last season against Weymouth in an almost identical situation, Puddletown got to work.

After seeing off opening bowlers Adam Weir and Callum Chaldecott (both 1-24), Wes Lewis (4) and King (5) fell cheaply to left-arm spinner Rob Snow (2-36).

From there, it was the Norman show as the seamer ripped through the Foxes' entire middle order, nipping the ball about with menace.

Brad Mullins (28) provided the strongest resistance but he too eventually perished to Norman, nicking behind to Reegan Norman who took a good low catch.

It was then left to Weir and Chaldecott to finish off the innings, extras (29) being the Foxes' top scorer on another dismal day with the bat.

Losing captain Tucker, said: "It's disappointing to come out on the wrong side of a close game, especially when the teams were so well matched. Once again, our batting has let us down in a game that was there for the taking.

"You can't afford to give wickets away in the manner we are in this league and it cost us.

"Congratulations to Adam and his team on their first Prem win. We look forward to playing them again later in the season."

CATTISTOCK & SYMENE II 241-5 (18pts) beat SHERBORNE II 237-7 (7pts) by five wickets

CATTISTOCK & SYMENE Seconds returned to winning ways as a stunning Sam Challis century helped beat Sherborne Seconds by five wickets in County Division Three.

Challis whacked eight sixes and 12 fours in his remarkable unbeaten 127 as the Foxes preserved their second spot in the standings.

Skipper Reuben Kingston deployed eight bowlers in a vain attempt to restrict the strong opposition batting after losing the toss.

Rob Jones (3-38) bagged three of Sherborne's top order but the visitors were romping away at a run a ball until the introduction of Challis (1-25) and his left-arm angles stalled the run rate.

Veteran spinner Graham Bartlett’s spell made amends for dropping Andy Pinkawa (93no) who struck 11 fours and two sixes, Sherborne posting a challenging total of 237-7.

The hosts' reply got off to a dreadful start with Kingston dropping his bat to be run out yards short in the second over but Challis, accompanied by Toby Hall (46) restored order.

Challis displayed admirable shot selection and timing, pacing his innings and memorably check-pulling a six over the mid-wicket boundary for the shot of the day.

Despite wickets in hand, the result was still in the balance until Luke Robertson strode to the wicket and settled nerves by blasting a quickfire 28 to finally see the hosts home.

Afterwards, a rueful Kingston said: “Another run out was unfortunate but thankfully Curly came to the rescue with that innings.

“I want to thank Luke Sibley (head groundsman) for producing another fabulous pitch. Nearly 500 runs in the match says it all.”

MARNHULL III 139 (7) lost to CATTISTOCK & SYMENE III 164-8 (19) by 25 runs

CATTISTOCK & SYMENE were rewarded for the long trip to Stour Provost with an excellent first win of the County Division Six season against second-placed Marnhull Thirds.

Leo Gurd’s young side contained seven under-18s yet picked up a deserved 20 points in dismissing the hosts for 139.

Howard Legg bagged both openers on the way to an outstanding 3-8.

Yet when Jack Bartlett (1-13) bowled Tim Horn for 36 to leave Marnhull at 88-5, there was still much work to be done to keep the total down to manageable proportions.

Jade Wilkinson put paid to that idea by ripping through the tail with a second spell of 2-3 from four overs.

In reply, Gurd soon perished for 10 but the batters showed remarkable resilience throughout the order to keep the visitors scenting the win.

A crucial 70-run partnership for the fifth wicket between George Crabb and Bradley Wilkinson (39) added the required impetus, with Crabb perishing for a boundary-laden 47 just shy of a richly-deserved half-century.

Gurd can take considerable pride that under his leadership his young charges continue to improve by the week and were fully deserving of this pivotal win.