HAMWORTHY RECREATION 247-6 (19pts) beat PUDDLETOWN 185-9 (8pts) by 62 runs

PUDDLETOWN missed out on the chance to seal the County Division One title as Hamworthy prevailed by 62 runs.

Adam Barrett’s men needed to better Swanage’s result by just five points to top the table and win promotion to the Premier League.

However, Swanage beat Weymouth to earn 19 points while Puddle took just eight after their second loss of the season.

Puddletown now have a 45-point gap to the Swans with 60 available in the final three games – including a clash between the two on the penultimate weekend.

With bad weather lurking, Barrett won the toss and elected to field.

However, openers Toby Berry (30) and Finlay Gordon made a solid start until Adam Weir (1-49) removed the former to leave Rec on 47-1.

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Scottish spinner Rob Snow (2-15) then strangled Rec, bowling Jacob Berry (4) and Matt Avery (15).

At 89-3, Puddletown were repelled from capitalising on a good position by some brutal Hamworthy hitting.

After Gordon (34) had departed, Jack Hector (26) and Elliot Dawson (28) scored at nearly a run per ball – all three men perishing to Ryan Norman (3-69), who proved expensive from eight overs.

Rec were not done there as the infamous power of Grant Cormack (60no) helped set a huge total.

Cormack blazed five fours and four maximums in his 34-ball knock, Alex Peel’s 15 from seven balls helped Rec to 247-6 from 40 overs.

Requiring in excess of a run per ball, Puddletown’s chase began poorly when Joe Downing (2-22) ousted Lucas Allen (2) and Puddle’s top scorer this season, James Mitchell (0).

Matt Porter (45) took the attack to the hosts but after his dismissal was followed by Weir (9), Puddletown were 98-4.

Barrett (50) struck a defiant half-century from 86 balls until Hamworthy’s Ryan Kelly (2-35) sent him back to the pavilion, Puddle reaching 147-6.

Chris Eastment (25no) and Norman (17) fired late runs to get Puddletown maximum batting points, but the visitors ultimately fell well short of the 248 target.

Speaking after the fixture, Puddletown captain Adam Barrett admitted the best side won on the day.

“We can have no complaints about the result,” he said. “Hamworthy batted and bowled really well and we didn’t have the answers to deal with them.

“After we lost early wickets, the plan was always 175 for max batting points, so it was good we managed to achieve that. That is a positive that we have taken from the game.

“We are back at Plush on Saturday with more familiar surroundings.

“Hopefully we can put in a good performance and finish the job this weekend.”