BEAMINSTER 180-9 (20pts) beat PARLEY II 179 (11pts) by one wicket

BEAMINSTER squeezed past Parley Seconds as they successfully chased their target in the final over with one wicket and two balls remaining in a thrilling County Division Two encounter at the Memorial Ground.

Dan Swift (74no) and William Moss (1no and 5-30) were the heroes as the league leaders held their nerve under enormous pressure.

After being inserted, the Parley openers batted cautiously against the new ball as they negotiated the opening bowlers.

Wickets started to fall when Ross Baker (3-23) was introduced into the attack as he dismissed Mark Stutter (15), Marcus Bragginton (24) and Matt King (29).

Dave Persey (2-35) provided good support before Alex Cridland (47) kicked on in the middle overs as Parley looked set to post a score in excess of 200.

However, Moss produced his best spell of bowling this season as he took the vital wicket of Cridland and four further tailenders as Parley were dismissed for 179.

Beaminster’s fielders also excelled with Baker snaffling three, Swift holding two plus Nick Hollely and Ollie Bareham also pouching a catch apiece.

But the hosts’ struggles with the bat continued during the chase, with top and lower order collapses in between an excellent 95-run fourth wicket partnership between Swift and Lewis Keenan (45).

With only three batsmen managing double figures, Beaminster were indebted to Swift who struck four huge sixes during his fine innings as wickets tumbled around him.

Beaminster’s tail had no answer to slow bowler Mark Barber (5-22), who breezed through the lower order in a tense finale as Beaminster crept over the line.

Speaking to Echosport, Baker said: “It was probably our closest game of the season with a really exciting finish at the end – not good for my nerves!”

On Swift and Moss, Baker added: “(Swift) held our innings together because they bowled well. Our batting has been a bit frail recently and a special mention to Lewis Keenan as well, he shared a fantastic middle order recovery – a great partnership with him and Daniel, that was a big moment in the game.

“(Moss) came on, just bowled straight and we held onto our catches. It was good for him to get a five-for, it’ll do his confidence the world of good.”