DORSET manager Sean Walbridge admitted their one-day game against Berkshire at Dean Park was called off partly because they didn't want to risk picking up any more injuries'.

The Minor Counties Championship outfit currently have five players injured - Rupert Kitzinger (fingers), Dan Belt (back), Chris Park (thumb), Ziggy Arshad (toes) and Greg Jones (back).

So they weren't exactly pushing for their MCCA Trophy group three tussle to go ahead in a wet Bournemouth yesterday morning.

Walbridge said: "The game was called off at 10.30am, half an hour before the scheduled start. Because it was so wet and neither team could qualify for the semi-finals, we didn't want to risk it.

"With the three-day championship games just around the corner, we wanted to keep everyone fit because we have enough injuries already, and so have Berkshire.

"So it was agreed with the umpires we wouldn't bother because there wasn't anything hanging on the game.

"If we had gone ahead you could just see someone getting injured, a bowler in his run up or a fielder twisting his ankle.

"At 10.30am the covers were on, but the groundsman had not been able to cut the wicket, so it would have been unlikely we would have been able to start before 2.30-3pm after the sun had come out.

"You're already down to 20 overs a side by then, so it wasn't worth it."

Belt, attempting a comeback after originally being told by doctors not to bowl quick deliveries this year, off-spinned his way to 4-27 in Weymouth's 64-run away win at Blandford on Saturday.