WEYMOUTH 79-0 (20pts) beat BROADSTONE II 75 (0pts) by 10 wickets

WEYMOUTH demolished Broadstone Seconds for 75 as the Seasiders galloped to their seventh County Division One victory of the season in a one-sided contest at Redlands.

Defeat relegated the struggling Delph Woods outfit to County Division Two despite rivals Cerne Valley also succumbing to a seven-wicket loss at Hamworthy Recreation.

Harry Mitchell’s Weymouth have now bowled Broadstone out twice for a combined 97 runs this season, with the East Dorset outfit fielding a number of youth players in the second clash.

Broadstone Seconds won the toss, elected to bat and found themselves 15-3 when Graham Puckett (3-21) and Lloyd Beals (3-24) made headway.

Experienced Simon Leadbeater (17) resisted for 54 balls but when he fell to off-spinner Mitchell (4-18) Broadstone subsided.

At 75-6, Mitchell and leg-spinner Shafeek Urumancheri (2-7) claimed the final four wickets for no runs, setting up an easy target of 76.

In-form Tommy England, fresh from a century against Portland, compiled 29 from 57 balls alongside Dom Webb who smashed 42 from 38 balls including six fours and a maximum as Weymouth won in just 15.4 overs.

Speaking to Echosport, Mitchell admitted Weymouth had felt sympathy for Broadstone’s youngsters.

He said: “Their kids stayed in for about four overs (each) but didn’t make many runs – they’re only 14 or 15-year-olds.

“To be fair, they’re going to be good players but it’s difficult. We’re not bowling our best because we’re bowling at youngsters – you don’t want to dent their confidence too much.

“Their top four weren’t too bad and to be fair we actually (bowled) in good areas, with nicks through slip and gully, so it could’ve been over a lot quicker.

“To be fair, they chipped away their batters and a few of us didn’t get the rewards we deserved.

“Then me and Shaf mopped up the rest, the wicket was giving quite a bit of turn.”

On the Seasiders’ batting, Mitchell added: “At tea I was thinking ‘let’s not drop any points and put a professional performance on them’.

“We know Tommy’s in great form after a ton last week on a difficult pitch, then Dom’s been smacking the ball amazingly in the nets and evening league.

“His batting’s come on again recently. We knew they were in good form, I just said to them ‘let’s get the job done’.

“They did that and they knocked them off pretty quickly, they both looked good.”

Weymouth visit second-placed Compton House on Saturday (1.30pm).

CONTACT ME:

t: 01305 830990

e: neil.walton

@dorsetecho.co.uk

twitter: @EchoSportNeil