DORCHESTER 151-4 (25pts) beat BEAMINSTER 148 all-out (4pts) by six wickets

DORCHESTER vice-captain Martyn Richards saw his side claim maximum points from this derby clash with Beaminster in Dorset Funeral Plan League Division One.

Richards took charge of the table-toppers in the absence of skipper Mark Derrien and he was full of praise for his men, particularly Pete Moxom (1-7), who took a vital wicket with his first ball and also smacked 95 not out with the willow.

Richards said: "We usually have a very close game with Beaminster but this time we beat them comprehensively and to get all 25 points was very pleasing.

"We won the toss and bowled, and got them all out for 148. Everyone chipped in with wickets and it was Phil Morley (2-16) who got the first two.

"Rob Waite (0-26) did not get one but bowled quite tightly, Charlie Sutton took 2-16 off 10 overs and Steve Gerety (3-27) got three in one over to put us in control.

"Pete Moxom also came on and got a wicket with his first ball. That was an important one because it got rid of a lad in their middle order who hit 44.

"Pete then scored 95 not out in our reply and that led us home. He is now our top-scorer and he deserves it because he works very hard on his game in the nets."

When asked how it felt taking charge of the side, Richards joked: "It was good and I think Mark will be quite pleased. He may now be hard pressed to get back in the side and we will certainly be giving him a bit of stick about that."

Richards won the toss and elected to bowl and it was Morley who drew first blood bowling the big hitting Ben Freak (2) with only nine on the board although Grant Vink (48) played patiently early on.

Davies was the next wicket to fall, bowled by Morley, bringing Beaminster's former captain and leading all-rounder Simon Jones (0) to the crease.

Waite had bowled economically but without taking a wicket and the insertion of Quenton Miller into the attack paid immediate dividends as his reverse swing found the leading edge of Jones who was spectacularly caught one-handed at short cover by Ian Sibley.

Chris Park (1) and Vink were both then clean bowled by the dangerous Charlie Sutton during his spell of 2-16 and the only resistance came in the form of the aggressive Hawkins (44) and Beam-inster's stand-in skipper Ross Baker (27).

The pendulum swung back in Dorchester's favour when Moxom dismissed Hawkins with the first ball of his spell and Gerety bowled a treble wicket maiden to leave Dorchester needing one wicket from the remaining five overs.

This came dramatically in the form of a direct hit run-out by Richards who threw down the stumps from mid-off to spark jubilant celebrations for Dorchester, who have on occasions this season failed to take the opposition's 10th wicket.

Needing 149 to win Dorchester's reply started brightly with Martin Langford (20) and Moxom both playing their shots while facing the economical opening duo of Jones (0-23) and Australian left arm spinner Vink (0-26).

Langford hit Vink for a straight six before being the first wicket to fall, well caught at gully off the bowling of Ross Baker.

Lee Ames (6) steadied the ship with Moxom until he was caught at mid wicket pulling Hawkins and Gerety (0) soon followed the Dorchester wicket keeper back to the pavilion having been bowled first ball.

Richards then joined Moxom and both men cashed in on some loose bowling before Richards was caught chasing a wide for 17. Sibley (9 not out) was the next to arrive at the crease and he finished the job with the tremendous Moxom who ended up five runs short of what would have been a deserved century.

Dorchester's day got even better when news filtered through to them that their nearest rivals Stalbridge had lost against Corfe Mullen by one wicket.

REC SCOREBOARD

BEAMINSTER

Freak b Morley 2

Vink b Sutton 48

Davies b Morley 6

Jones c Sibley b Miller 0

Park b Sutton 1

Hawkins c Ames b Moxom 44

Baker run out 27

Hillier lbw Gerety 2

Boundy b Gerety 0

Hollily c Moxom b Gerety 0

Etherington not out 0

Extras 18

Total (all out, 41.5overs) 148

FoW: 1-9, 2-33, 3-40, 4-47, 5-71, 6-121, 7-139, 8-139,9-130

Bowling: Morley 8-1-16-2, Waite 7-1-26-0, Miller 9-0-48-1, Sutton 10-2-16-2, Gerety 4.5-0-27-3, Moxom 3-0-7-1.

DORCHESTER

Langford c Hawkins b Baker 20

Moxom not out 95

Ames c Hillier b Hawkins 6

Gerety b Hawkins 0

M Richards c Davies b Boundy 17

I Sibley not out 9

Extras 4

Total (4wkts, 35.3overs) 151

FoW: 1-31, 2-68, 3-68, 4-133

Bowling: Jones 7-1-23-0, Vink 10-2-26-0, Baker 6-018-1, Etherington 4-0-30-0, Hawkins 5-2-25-2, Boundy 2-0-20-1,Hollily 1.3-0-9-0.