DORSET'S batsmen will need a significant improvement today after a topsy-turvy second day left their Minor Counties Championship clash with Cheshire hanging in the balance.

Resuming their first innings on 109-2, Nick Park (48) added just one run to his overnight score, while Ben Lawes was eventually out after a bright 69.

The rest of Dorset's batting line-up, however, failed to deliver with Chris Park's 20 the next highest score and big-hitting Darren Cowley dismissed for a disappointing 16.

Even skipper Tom Hicks - who grabbed five wickets with the ball on day one - was dismissed for a duck as his side slumped to 213 all out in just 74.2 overs.

Team manager Sean Walbridge said: "We didn't bat as well as we wanted to. For whatever reason, we just didn't bat to our potential and we need to put that right in our second innings.

"Unfortunately, Nick Park couldn't build on his overnight score, Ben Lawes batted very well, but then Darren (Cowley) got in and then got out again.

"Not to bat our 90 overs was very disappointing - especially in a game like this where it looks like it could be quite tight.

"Even if we'd got up to 30 or 40 runs short of them, it might make all the difference."

Dorset got off to a fine start in the field reducing Cheshire to 66-4 at one stage as Matt Metcalfe responded to a wicketless first innings to take three quick top-order scalps.

The visitors, however, dug in and begun to turn the screw as skipper Andy Hall (55) notched his second fifty of the match, while James Duffy (53) produced a quickfire knock - including one towering six that removed a part of the drainpipe from the roof of an adjacent building.

Dorset, however, fought back again with three wickets in the last hour of play to leave the game finely poised as Cheshire were on 182-8 at the close of play.

Walbridge said: "We've fought back well. Matt Metcalfe's three early wickets have helped and we just need to keep chipping away.

"If we can bowl them out for around 200, it will give us every chance of chasing down a score.

"The game is still very much in the balance and is a good advert for Minor Counties cricket. It should be a cracking final day's play."

DEAN PARK SCOREBOARD

Dorset v Cheshire (Day Two)

Overnight: Cheshire 291-9, Dorset 109-2.

Dorset First Innings (cont)

BJ Lawes lbw b Woods 69

NG Park c Leech b Sydall 48

DJ Cowley b Dumelow 16

CL Park lbw Dumelow 20

TC Hicks c Dawson b Woods 0

MJ Metcalfe c Dumelow b Spendlove 16

MD Ford st Dawson b Woods 13

MTC Waller not out 4

R Banham c Woods b Dumelow 5

Extras (lb2, nb3) 5

Total: (all out, 74.2overs) 213

FoW: 1-14, 2-18, 3-110, 4-139, 5-175, 6-175, 7-176, 8-204, 9-204, 10-213.

Bowling: CC Finnegan 13-6-23-1, AJ Sydall 20-6-56-2, NRC Dumelow 24.2-28-71-4, DA Woods 15-3-49-3, BL Spendlove 2-0-12-0.

Cheshire Second Innings

AJ Hall c Ford b Hicks 55

DN Leech c C Park b Metcalfe 0

BL Spendlove lbw Metcalfe 8

I Dawood c&b Metcalfe 8

NRC Dumelow c N Park b Banham 21

JA Duffy c C Park b Treagus 53

WM Goodwin c C Park b Waller 23

MR Dawson c Waller b Treagus 1

AJ Sydall not out 0

CC Finnegan not out 0

Extras (b4, lb8, wd1) 13

Total: (8wkts, 77overs) 182

FoW: 1-0, 2-13, 3-23, 4-66, 5-138, 6-158, 7-159, 8-182)

Bowling: MD Ford 7-3-10-0, MJ Metcalfe 15-4-46-3, R Banham 10-6-8-1, TC Hicks 19-3-49-1, GR Treagus 22-9-48-2, MTC Waller 4-2-9-1.