BERE REGIS 134-9 (6pts) lost to WIMBORNE & COLEHILL 232-8 (19pts) by 98 runs

BERE Regis were comfortably beaten at home by 98 runs as Wimborne & Colehill underlined their Dorset Premier League title credentials.

Brian Keegan’s men finished fourth in the previous campaign after enjoying a seven-match winning streak, beating Poole on the final day of the 2021 season to hand a hat-trick of titles to rivals Dorchester.

However, Bere’s run of victories came to an abrupt end as the 2022 campaign began.

Bere Regis lost the toss and were asked to field first, with Rich Payne (4-50) collecting the wickets of Ben Bridgen (13) and Tom Butcher (12).

READ MORE: Dorchester beat Broadstone in first game of the season

Wimborne’s Colin Randall (59) and James Miller (61) then began to find the boundary with regularity as the duo amassed a 106-run stand for the third wicket.

Randall stroked 11 fours while Miller was more volatile, smacking seven boundaries and three sixes.

It took the introduction of new signing Pete Russell (2-33) to the attack to bowl both men, leaving the Minstermen on 169-4.

Payne then returned to claim two more scalps but Joe Welch’s unbeaten 32 helped carry the visitors to 232-8 from their 50 overs.

Welch (2-14) proved a thorn in Bere’s reply as openers Payne (5) and Russell (6) were accounted for early on.

Simon Watkins (3-30) further put the squeeze on Bere’s batters, who were coming under increasing pressure to keep up with the required run rate at 91-6.

Only Sam Goodhew (51) resisted, the all-rounder hitting seven fours in a patient 101-ball half-century before he fell to the leg spin of skipper Harry Prince (3-33).

Bere’s tail did hang around to deprive Wimborne of full bowling points, Keegan (4no) lasting 23 balls and Jacob Kennard’s unbeaten 12 coming off 46.

Yet it was of little consolation as Bere claimed just six points from the contest, finishing on 134-9.

Speaking to Echosport, Keegan said: “They’re a good side, there’s no two ways about it.

“Losing the toss to start with wasn’t ideal, but we didn’t help ourselves in the field.

“You set standards as a side, especially from our perspective, and we did hit those in periods. But there was a period in between where they took of advantage of some indifferent bowling and fielding.

“Two hundred and thirty-odd on our wicket is a good score, that’s the bottom line.

“It was disappointing in the first half and then scoreboard pressure and good bowling from Wimborne kept the pressure on us.

“Other than Sam, we buckled. We never got going. There is a lot of things to work on, trying to hit those standards that we found towards the end of last season.”

Bere Regis began their County Division Three season with a six-wicket loss at Martinstown Seconds.

Bere main sponsor: Booth Gadenne

Bere first & second XI match ball sponsor: Dorset Property Surveys