WEYMOUTH 201-5 (8pts) lost to HAMWORTHY REC 202-7 (17pts) by three wickets

SLOPPY fielding from promoted side Weymouth proved pivotal as last season’s runners-up Hamworthy Recreation edged to a three-wicket County Division One victory at Redlands.

Dropped catches ran well into double figures for the Seasiders, who were contesting their first Division One match since 2017.

The hosts were left to rue what might have been after a steady, if unspectacular, display with the bat set a tricky target of 202 for Hamworthy.

Weymouth, armed with three front-line spinners in skipper Harry Mitchell, Shafeek Urumancheri and former Dorset all-rounder Ben Lawes, took wickets regularly but allowed Rec far too many lives as the visitors chased down their total with nine balls to spare.

On a green early-season pitch, Hamworthy won the toss and elected to field first but found the going difficult as young Weymouth openers Paul Collins and Dom Webb started solidly.

The pairing guided Weymouth to 50-0 until Collins (18) edged Ryan Kelly (2-44) behind to wicketkeeper Alex Peel before fellow opener Webb (24) was castled by the same bowler.

At 70-2, returning brothers Ben and Matt Lawes put on a further 49 until the former was caught for 23 off the bowling of Jacob Berry.

Needing to pick the run rate up, Tom England cracked 42 from 40 balls as Matt Lawes (54) reached his half-century, including four boundaries.

The duo put on 67, a partnership which was ended when Lawes was bowled by Matt Avery at 186-4.

Weymouth could only add a further 15 runs as a generous 35 extras boosted the total over the 200 mark.

Starting impressively in defence of their score, Weymouth’s Matt Lawes (1-38) snared the wicket of Tim Wood (1) after a bizarre dropped catch cannoned into the slips for brother Ben to pounce upon.

Visiting skipper Sean Mulley (16) was next to follow before Peel’s fluent 18 was ended after offering a chance to Collins, captain Mitchell (2-41) accounting for both men.

Rec were indebted to Avery (47) and Gordon Frazier (52) who accrued 79 for the fourth wicket in swerving trouble at 72-3.

The Seasiders failed to take several opportunities that came their way and, despite dismissing both men with the score on 151, Berry (25) and Matt Gordon (20) rallied at the end to win the match for the hosts, despite Ben Lawes’ 2-44.

Speaking to Echosport following the encounter, Mitchell vented his frustration at a poor fielding performance.

He said: “If I’m being honest I think we were the better side but we dropped eight catches, minimum.

“I had one, caught it for two steps and when I was trying to regain my balance it slipped through my hands.

“GP (Graham Puckett) had one smacked at him at point, Shaf dropped three, Paul dropped one, Ben dropped one – so many.

“There were really difficult ones for Blackers (Dave Blackman).

“It was just a bad day at the office, it happens.”

While Weymouth’s batting was a highlight, Mitchell felt another 20 runs might have made the difference in a tight contest.

“If you’re going to be ultra-critical, we could’ve put on another 20 runs it would’ve been a really good game,” he said.

“The bloke that got 50 had about six lives – he apologised after the game but he took his luck to be fair to him.

“Last year we were definitely the best fielding side in the league and we prided ourselves on that but (against Rec) it cost us.”

Looking at the positives, he added: “The openers set a platform, Ben and Matt did good in the middle order then Tommy scored runs at five.

“There was some good fielding, Sappy (Jack Sapsworth) his groundwork was really good.

“But it was such an emotional game, ups and downs – the whole match was a bit of a blur.”

Commenting on the return of the Lawes brothers, Mitchell said: “More than anyone, the person that appreciates them most is probably myself.

“When I’m bowling, I can just worry about my bowling because they’ll just take over the side.

“I quite like that because they’ve got a wealth of experience, both of them.

“The knowledge of who’s going to bowl from which end and as a young captain just to learn off them is amazing.

“What I took on a personal level out of that game was a lot. It’s all experience for me.”

Elsewhere, Weymouth Seconds beat Cheselbourne by a whopping 100 runs in County Division Six with Tim Guyett hitting a 50 and Ben Hunter taking four wickets for a maximum 20 points.