DORSET team manager Sean Walbridge is looking forward to a tense and exciting end to the Minor Counties Championship season after his side propelled themselves up to second in the Western Division with victory over Cheshire this week.

Matt Metcalfe took 10 wickets with the ball as Dorset skittled their opponents in both innings for the first time this season having been frustrated with draws in their previous two games.

And with just three matches left of the three-day competition, Walbridge is eyeing top spot, which is currently occupied by Berkshire.

“It’s really tight because they are the only team who have won two games,” he said. “There are seven teams behind them, including us, who have won once.

“It’s all going to come down to who keeps their nerve and who believes in their own abilities.

“There are going to be some tense and exciting times over the last three games of the season. If we play well we have every chance of wining the title.”

The match did not look as if it had started well for Dorset, who were skittled for 264 on the opening day.

Only returning skipper Tom Hicks (71), Josh Lawrence (58) and Chris Park (41) posted good scores during the 85-over innings but that total would prove to be commendable in the end and one that was not beaten during the rest of the match.

Metcalfe’s devastating first innings spell of 7-53 reduced Cheshire to 135 all out before Dorset built a sizeable lead as Matt Metcalfe (51no) and Aaron Williams (40) led the way in the home side’s second outing with the bat.

Chasing 366 to win, Cheshire were stopped in their tracks by Metcalfe (3-33) again as the bowler took the opening two wickets before Hicks (4-52), Mitch Wilson (2-72) and Ed Denham (1-31) mopped up the rest.

“To beat Cheshire, who were top going into this round of matches, was very satisfying and a real top effort from the guys,” added Walbridge. “To win a game you have to take 20 wickets and we hadn’t done that in the other two games.

“But we bowled them out twice to win the game and the individual performance of Matt Metcalfe was outstanding.”

Dorset’s next three-day match, against Herefordshire, begins at Dean Park on Sunday, July 18 (11am).

* Dorset will also take a side to Wimborne tomorrow night (6pm) for a Twenty20 match to officially open the club’s new ground.

Dorset: Nick Park, Darren Cowley, Chris Morgan, Glyn Treagus, David Taylor, Aaron Williams, Josh Lawrence, Tom Hicks, Matt Metcalfe, Ed Denham, Eric Linge. Scorer: Chris Drew.