DORCHESTER skipper Dan Belt revealed his players are “buzzing” as they prepare for a Dorset Premier League meeting with Sherborne at Dorchester Rec tomorrow (1pm).
Dorchy returned to winning ways last time out against Christchurch with an emphatic 149-run victory, after losing to leaders Wimborne by five wickets one week previous.
Despite prolific former Somerset Seconds batter Josh Lawrence coming back into the Sherborne ranks in recent weeks, Belt remains confident Dorchester can secure victory.
He told Echosport: “The boys are buzzing after last weekend and this is going to be a good test against Sherborne.
READ MORE: Dorchester beat Christchurch by 149 runs
“Josh is their main bat but they’ve got depth there as well. The boys are looking forward to it.
“Last year at our place Josh got runs but we managed him very well, which won us the game.
“But it will be the same as every other game, we’ll go out to have fun, play our best cricket and go from there.”
Dorchester make two changes, with Seb Carty and Josh Foot coming in for the unavailable Eral Anderson and Jack Owens.
Dorchester: Ryall, Mitchem, Rajendar, Carty, J Foot, Belt, Legg, Peak, Dunham, Nobbs, Baker.
Elsewhere, due to Rob Nobbs’ excellent first-team form, Dorchester have named Nick Joslin as their new second-team captain.
The bowler takes his second spell in charge after successive promotions in 2007 and 2008.
Ben Macklin and Ben Alford will share vice-captaincy duty for the trip to Corfe Mullen in County Division Two, with the third team away to Cattistock & Symene Thirds in Division Six (both tomorrow 1.30pm).
Also in the Premier League, Martinstown are looking for victory at home to Cattistock & Symene tomorrow (1pm).
Co-captain Will Maltby is keen to bounce back from their defeat to Broadstone last time out as they tackle the winless Foxes.
He said: “I’m looking to see a reaction after last week.
“We know we’re a good team, we need to put in a really big performance and hopefully build some confidence for the coming weeks.
“It would do all of us good, put a more positive demeanour around the club again but we know Cattistock can be dangerous.
“We’ve got to play to our strengths. We know we can be a dangerous team but we’ve slightly gone away from it this season, played in a more defensive mindset.
“Hopefully we go back to what we’re good at and win.”
Martinstown make four changes with Ryan Blair, Matt Camp, Jacob Coombs and Marcus Daubeney missing out for Sam Kershaw, Charlie Andrews, Dave Trotter and Charlie Durant.
Martinstown: Nichols, S Williams, F Williams, W Maltby, R Gerety, Kershaw, E Maltby, Je Stewart, C Andrews, Trotter, Durant.
Martinstown visit unbeaten Division Three leaders Cerne Valley tomorrow (1.30pm).
Bere Regis, meanwhile, are another Premier League team seeking a return to the winner’s enclosure.
Brian Keegan’s side host Broadstone in a battle of fourth versus fifth at Bere Regis Rec tomorrow (1pm) after a batting collapse contributed to an 88-run loss at Poole last week.
And Keegan is wary of a powerful Broadstone batting line-up.
He said: “Caleb Rowe can hit the ball extremely hard and a long way. It will be anything but easy.
“They look a competitive unit and we’ll look to match that and obviously improve on our batting performance from last week.”
Tom Munnings, Jacob Kennard, Pete Russell and Rich Payne all come in for Tom Swain, Dave Griffiths, Rupert Guppy and Rob Murphy.
Bere: M King, Russell, S Goodhew, Robertson, T Goodhew, Rich Cole, Rogerson, Kennard, Munnings, Payne, Keegan.
Bere main sponsor: Booth Gadenne
Bere first XI match ball sponsor: Cian Evans
Bere second XI match ball sponsor: The Scott family
Bere Regis Seconds are away to Broadstone Seconds at Delph Woods in Division Three tomorrow (1.30pm).
After taking their first-ever Premier League win at Cattistock last time out, Puddletown are aiming for back-to-back victories when Poole visit Plush tomorrow (1pm).
Puddletown are hoping home advantage will tell at a ground many Poole players will not have visited.
Puddle all-rounder Rob Snow said: “There are definitely a few teams and players that haven’t played there so it gives us a little bit of home advantage.
“To some extent that helps us but we’ve just said to go out there and play as a team. If we get chances and take them, we might cause an upset.
“That’s the way we approach every game and we’ll see what happens.”
Lucas Allen is a doubt but Puddletown are expected to stick with the remainder of the side that began the Cattistock win.
Puddletown Seconds host Blandford Seconds in Division Five tomorrow (1.30pm).
In Division One, Portland Red Triangle are desperate to halt a run of three straight losses when they host Marnhull tomorrow (1.30pm).
Marnhull have won just once in six games but Portland have only taken two victories themselves, with skipper Matt Randell calling on his side to lift their form.
He said: “It’s always a good one against Marnhull. Come the end of the season, looking at both teams’ results, it might be an important clash.
“At the moment we’re at that lower end of the table, so we’ll be looking to focus on getting our first home win of the season.”
Portland welcome back Jon Cameron, Callum Doherty and James Potts but Chris Theakstone (ankle) needs surgery and is out for the rest of the campaign.
Portland’s second team visit Wimborne & Colehill Fourths in Division Five tomorrow (1.30pm).
Elsewhere, Weymouth are hoping to end their stop-start season in Division Two when they welcome Shaftesbury to Redlands tomorrow (1.30pm).
The Seasiders have won three of six games but were comfortably seen off at Parley Seconds by eight wickets after beating Sturminster & Hinton.
Vice-captain Lloyd Beals takes the reins this week and the all-rounder called for a more proactive approach.
He said: “Batting-wise, we’re just letting teams bowl at us. This week I want us to be fairly attacking.
“Obviously, you don’t want to give wickets away but I want us to be quite proactive with the bat, look to score regularly and put bowlers under pressure.
“We should be a lot higher in the table. I don’t think we’ve put out one side this season that isn’t a Division One team.”
Much-changed Weymouth make eight alterations as Kieron Womble, John Wilson, Neil Walton, Dom Webb, Tom England, Graham Puckett and an unnamed eighth player returns, while Marco Nott makes his maiden first-team appearance of the season.
Weymouth: Beals, Womble, England, Nott, Puckett, J Sapsworth, Walton, Webb, Wilson, Urumancheri, AN Other.
Division Six leaders Weymouth Seconds have a bye weekend but return to host Swanage Thirds on Saturday, June 25 (1.30pm).
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