DORCHESTER club captain Simon Mitchem has rued his team’s luck with poor weather and availability this season.

Mitchem’s men go into their Dorset Funeral Plan Premier League match at relegated Shillingstone tomorrow (1pm) knowing it is mathematically impossible for them to win the league.

The Dorchester skipper told Echosport the outcome was “very disappointing”.

He said: “Obviously it was very disappointing.

“I think had we been a bit luckier with the weather and capability to have our strongest team out, we would have had a good chance of winning the league, but it wasn’t to be for whatever reason.

“We are capable of playing some really good cricket. Our availability at the start of the season wasn’t great and that didn’t help us.

“Consistency and availability is a massive help – that cost us this year. We fought back well and we have made a real go of it so that’s pleasing.”

With Dorchester's final two games now effectively dead rubbers, Mitchem revealed that the club has not thought about mixing second team players into the first team and vice versa.

He said: “It’s not something we’ve really talked about. I’m not a big fan of stacking the second team. I don’t see how that helps with the development of the team.

“Honestly, we’ll just keep going with our normal selection.”

Will McKay will be the only absentee from last week, with Mitchem set to make a late call on his replacement.

n Dorchester Seconds are looking to respond to a nine-wicket thrashing at the hands of Beaminster this weekend.

Mike Peak’s men currently sit third and will face bottom side Poole Town Thirds at Dorchester Rec tomorrow (1.30pm).