MARTINSTOWN 110 (4pts) lost to SHERBORNE 111-7 (18pts) by three wickets

MARTINSTOWN left their final home Dorset Funeral Plan Premier League fixture of the season with a three-wicket loss to Sherborne in a low-scoring encounter at Lower Ashton Farm.

With runs usually easy to come by, a total of 17 wickets fell for just 221 runs as the bowlers shone on a warm day.

Martinstown’s stand-in skipper Sam Kershaw won the toss and elected to bat first, but the hosts lost Ed Nichols (8) cheaply to the wily Andy Nurton (1-12).

Nurton’s fellow opener Mark Hancock (3-34) then made strides into the hosts’ top order, dismissing Sean Williams (13), Kershaw (9) and Teddy Andrews (9) to reduce them to 50-4.

Liam Banfield (33) offered some resistance along with William Maltby (9) but both men became two of four victims for Paul Hancock (4-13), as Martinstown ran aground on 95-6.

Ryan Chase (19) did his best to score some late runs but the final four wickets were taken for just 15 runs as Martinstown made a lowly 110 all out.

Martinstown reduced Sherborne to 16-2, as Banfield (1-20) and Chris Read (2-42) dismissed openers Luke Hancock (1) and Emlyn Kuhn (12).

Marc Lock (28), centurion in the reverse fixture, and Tom Harris (21) rebuilt for the visitors, until Read ousted Harris.

Liam Moss then held a superb catch in the deep to dismiss Lock, who was one of three quick wickets for Teddy Andrews (3-16) as Sherborne stumbled to 89-6.

But Sherborne’s Marc Tanswell (18no) checked any hopes of a home win with a calm innings to claim victory.

Martinstown captain Ed Nichols admitted his side were “sloppy”.

He said: “I think it was just a little bit sloppy all round, not really building a partnership at any stage. We weren’t really good enough for whatever reason, I really couldn’t say.

“It was just one of those days. I’d rather it happen now than in a crunch game.

“We kept it close at the end, which was nice and we bowled and fielded well without being excellent, I thought”.