MARNHULL SECONDS 87 (1pt) lost to Abbotsbury 88-2 (19pts) by eight wickets

CHAS Duerdoth pulled off a stunning hat-trick as Abb-otsbury finally got their Division Five North & West campaign underway with a comfortable eight-wicket success at Marnhull Seconds.

With the weather having put paid to Abbotsbury’s opening fixture, the team arrived at Marnhull hoping to kick-start their season with a good performance. The hosts were in good heart having dodged the showers to secure a victory the previous weekend and despite losing the toss on a damp wicket, openers L Elsworth and S Symonds safely negotiated the first 15 overs with the score on 28.

However, the first bowling change brought a wicket, with spinner Chris Backhouse (2-33) coaxing Symonds into a scooped catch to short mid-off.

At the other end, Duerdoth (3-21) had been bowling with pace and accuracy and within the space of three balls he ripped out the Marn-hull top order.

Wickets then fell regularly, with James Pretty (2-9 off 4.4 overs) particularly miserly in sending two batsmen back to the hutch while conceding only nine runs.

The bowling was backed up well by the field with substitute keeper Steve Budd producing a sterling performance behind the stumps.

Ryan Beesley (1-5) and the evergreen Grafton Straker (1-18) also picked up a wicket each to see Marnhull bowled out for 87.

In reply, openers S Pengelly (32 not out) and Pretty (32) batted sensibly on a tricky wicket with a mixture of caution and well-struck boundaries, compiling an opening stand of 62 before Pretty was dismissed leg before.

The remaining runs were knocked off with the loss of one further wicket to see Abbotsbury home with 16 overs to spare and 19 points in the bag.