DORCHESTER 247-7 (25pts) beat WIMBORNE & COLEHILL 162 (6pts) by 85 runs

DORCHESTER went top of the Dorset Funeral Plan Premier League after an impressive victory over Wimborne & Colehill at the Rec.

Wicketkeeper Paul Tweddle helped inspire the success as he hit 91 not out with the bat before taking two catches during the visitors' innings.

County town skipper Martyn Richards, whose side lost at Suttoners two weeks ago before seeing the derby with Wey-mouth rained off last weekend, was pleased with the win.

He said: "We're delighted to get the 25 points, it's what we planned to do. We lost the toss but we fancied ourselves to either bat or bowl first, and the guys put in a great batting performance.

"Steve Gerety's 38 was backed up by Shannon Dunnett and Martin Langford later in the innings but the real lynchpin was Paul Tweddle who batted 48 overs, it was cracking to see him out in the middle for such a long time and it was key to our success.

"Their captain Colin Randall got off to a flyer but we changed the field and once we caught him it set us up for the rest of the game and after that we were on top.

"Hopefully we've consolidated our position, the table doesn't always give a fair reflection this early in the season but it does give us a good platform to build from."

After being put into bat first, the hosts didn't make the greatest of starts. Opening batsman Lee Haynes only managed five and the first wicket was gone for just six runs.

But up stepped Tweddle and he stayed at the crease for the remainder. After Gerety registered 38, Dan Belt could only muster two but New Zealander Dunnett (47) formed a strong partnership with Tweddle to steady the home ship.

After the dismissal of Dunnett partners for Tweddle fell regularly with Rob Waite, Richards and Ian Sibley all walking for just one run apiece.

Luckily, Langford (30) was on hand to help Dorchester register a strong total of 247 at the end of their innings with seven wickets gone.

In reply, the visitors made a sterling start, and in contrast to their hosts they had chalked up 57 runs before the fall of the opening wicket.

But that dismissal clearly disrupted Wimborne while galvanising the county town side, who removed two more opposing batsmen with 61 on the scoreboard.

A Collison (57) kept the away side in with a chance of chasing the target set by Dorchester, but with G Cormack adding only four and G Will and C Blake going for ducks, Wimborne faced an enormous task, especially with Dunnett in such good form (4-16).

R Hatchard (8) and C Cornish (17), who was the pick of the visitors' bowlers with figures of 3-37, showed some resistance in the lower order but when Belt caught G Jones off the bowling of Phil Morley (2-46) the game was over and Dorchester could celebrate their second win of the campaign.

REC SCOREBOARD

DORCHESTER

Haynes c Collison b Cornish 5

Gerety c Will b Randall 38

Tweddle not out 91

Belt b Blake 2

Dunnett b Cornish 47

Waite c Collison b Randall 1

Richards b Cornish 1

Sibley b Will 1

Langford not out 30

Extras 31

Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 247

FoW: 1-6, 2-76, 3-102, 4-182, 5-184, 6-185, 7-195

Bowling: Will 8-0-53-1, Cornish 10-1-37-3, Randall 9-1-42-2, Hatchard 5-2-19-0, Blake 7-1-29-1, Jones 6-0-34-0, Collison 5-0-28-0

WIMBORNE & COLEHILL

Randall c Tweddle b Waite 49

Cole c Richards b Morley 4

Crisp c Tweddle b Morley 0

Steele b Waite 2

Collison b Dunnett 57

Cormack c Gerety b Dunnett 4

Will b Dunnett 0

Blake run out 0

Hatchard c Morley b Dunnett 8

Cornish not out 17

Jones c Morley b Belt 5

Extras 16

Total (all out, 33 overs) 162

FoW: 1-57, 2-57, 3-61, 4-87, 5-128, 6-128, 7-128, 8-135, 9-155

Bowling: Morley 7-1-46-2, Waite 10-2-52-2, Belt 10-2-40-1, Dunnett 6-0-16-4