DORSET 265-6 lost to CAMBRIDGESHIRE 266-7 by three wickets

IT was Groundhog Day' for Dorset as they spilled five catches on their way to a three-wicket defeat against Cambridgeshire at March yesterday.

Dorset's fielders put down Lincolnshire opener Martyn Dobson three times in their previous MCCA Trophy group four match at Sherborne School.

Dobson went on to hit a fortuitous 85 to guide Lincoln-shire to a 32-run victory.

This time round, it was Cambridgeshire batsman Andrew Clarke who benefited from Dorset's generosity as he steered his side to a three-wicket success.

The former Essex left hander cracked an unbeaten 143 as Cambridgeshire chased down Dorset's 265-6 with five balls to spare, replying with 266-7.

That was after Chris Park (51), Steve Selwood (50) and Darren Cowley (48) had put the visitors in the driving seat.

Dorset manager Sean Walbridge said: "We're disappointed because one guy has scored 143 for them.

"He's carried them through. He's probably played the innings of his life."

Speaking minutes after Clarke returned victorious to the pavilion, Walbridge added: "Unfortunately, we were blighted by five dropped catches again today which has probably cost us victory.

"We would like to think at least three would have been caught.

"That's ten we've dropped in the one-day game this year and that's not good enough. It's an area we need to improve very quickly.

"You can't win too many cricket matches by doing that, especially in tight games like this one turned out to be.

"We dropped the guy who got 143 at least three times. Take him out and it would have been a different game. We didn't bat very well against Lincolnshire, but this time our running between the wickets was good and we also batted particularly well down the line.

"We probably had enough runs, but didn't quite bowl as well as we did against Lincolnshire. We probably bowled a bit too full and didn't get our length right. Had we done so, and taken our catches, we would probably have won.

"Now our focus turns to three-day cricket and we have to look to improve in that when we visit Wales at Swansea starting on May 25."

MARCH SCOREBOARD

MCCA Trophy

CAMBRIDGESHIRE v DORSET

Cambridgeshire won by three wickets

Toss: Dorset

DORSET

S A Selwood c and b Harvey 50

N G Park lbw Smith 34

D J Cowley b Brandy 48

C L Park run out (D Clarke) 51

G P Hicks c&b D Clarke 16

M J Metcalfe c Brandy b D Clarke 9

T C Hicks not out 34

M T C Waller not out 6

Extras (2nb 13w 1b 1lb) 17

Total (6 wkts, 50 overs) 265

FoW: 1-62 2-144 3-148 4-190 5-205 6-255.

Bowling: Akhtar 4-0-25-0, Williams 4-0-25-0, A Clarke 6-0-41-0, Smith 10-0-52-1, Harvey 10-1-33-1, Brandy 9-0-65-1, D Clarke 7-0-22-2.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

S A Kellett lbw Metcalfe 12

G D Freear c Cowley b Kitzinger 18

A J Clarke not out 143

N J Ferraby lbw Banham 57

D G Brandy c C Park b Denham 11

S Park b Banham 0

T F C Harvey c Cowley b Waller 4

D A Clarke c C Park b T Hicks 1

A Akhtar not out 3

Extras (6nb 9w 2lb) 17

Total (7 wkts, 49.1 overs) 266

FoW: 1-26 2-62 3-212 4-232 5-241 6-252 7-254.

Bowling: Metcalfe 7-1-39-1, Banham 10-0-50-2, Kitzinger 7-0-45-1, T Hicks 7.1-0-31-1, Denham 6-1-35-1, Waller 9-0-43-1, Cowley 3-0-21-0.

Yesterday's other group four result: Lincolnshire (265) beat Buckinghamshire (217) by 48 runs at Bracebridge Heath.

Remaining fixtures, May 18: Wales v Lincolnshire at Abergavenny, Buckinghamshire v Cambridgeshire at Ascot.

June 1: Dorset v Buckinghamshire at Sherborne School, Cambridgeshire v Wales at Wisbech.

TODAY'S TABLE

P W L NR Pts

Lincolnshire 3 3 0 0 6

Cambridgeshire 2 1 1 0 2

Wales 2 0 0 2 2

Buckinghamshire 2 0 1 1 1

Dorset 3 0 2 1 1

(Top two qualify for quarter-finals)