WIMBORNE & COLEHILL 189 (7pts) lost to Dorchester 184-7 (20pts) by three wickets (rain affected, Dorchester on revised target)

LEE Haynes and Steve Gerety both scored half centuries as Dorchester put the disappointment of back-to-back defeats behind them by winning at Wimborne & Colehill.

Following consecutive losses against Parley and Poole Town, the county town outfit could have easily wilted at the Leaze with their Dorset Premier League title hopes all but over, but instead they bounced back in remarkable fashion.

Andy Mead defied the odds by claiming 4-64, despite playing with a broken left hand, and with Dan Belt and Rob Waite also chipping in with two wickets apiece, Dorchester skittled the hosts for 189 despite Colin Randall scoring a fine 49.

Due to a rain shower before the start of play, the visitors were then set a revised target of 184 off 44 overs, which could have been tricky. But thanks to Gerety (52) and Haynes (74no) they got there with three wickets to spare despite a wobble in the middle order.

For Dorchester skipper Martyn Richards, the victory was further evidence of the tremendous character within his side and he is now looking forward to a positive end to the campaign.

He said: “After the last two weeks when we threw away winning positions, it was great to grind out such a good result against a Wimborne & Colehill side, who are scrapping for every point in their bid for survival.

“A target of 184 off 44 overs was not an easy one in the conditions and Wimborne certainly made it even tougher. Steve and Lee got us off to a great start but then it looked like we were going to throw it away when Dan, Paul Tweddle, Rob and I all fell in relatively quick succession. However, Lee then dropped anchor, and alongside 17-year-old Ian Legge, we eventually got home.”

Of Mead’s heroics, Richards added: “I have never heard of anyone playing cricket with a broken hand before so to take four wickets was fantastic. He also claimed the wicket of the dangerous Randall, which was very important, although he did knock Andy for a few boundaries, which is why he went for as many runs as he did.

“We needed our more experienced players to step up with so many missing and they did exactly that, with Rob and Dan also weighing in with two wickets apiece.

“To be honest the pressure is off us a little bit now. We have three games left and we know if we win them all we could still be in the mix at the top but there is no doubt that Parley are the favourites now followed by Poole Town.

“All the pressure is on them so now is the time for us to just go out and play with smiles on our faces. We are still a developing team at the moment. We have had to rebuild a little bit with a couple of new faces coming in and with the youngsters we have coming through the future of the club looks good.”

Thanks to Randall and Andy Hayward (20), Wimborne got their innings off to a great start with a first-wicket stand of 74 but as soon as Richards caught the former off the bowling of Mead, the tide turned.

Hayward was run out a couple of minutes later and although Justin Perry (33) and Greg Cormack (24) dug in, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals until Belt wrapped up the innings by cleaning up Jack Worpole (3).

Dorchester lost Pete Moxom (3) early in their reply but then Gerety and Haynes formed a second-wicket stand of 76 to put their side ahead of the run rate and in a very commanding position.

It was looking like plain sailing for the county town outfit at 92-1 but Gerety then fell to David Hills (3-35) and all of a sudden Wimborne eyed an opportunity.

The hosts ripped into the middle order where Belt (0), Waite (12), Tweddle (13), and Richards (8), all came and went without making a telling impact.

However, Haynes still remained, and he kept his composure under huge pressure to ensure Dorchester safely reached their target in the 38th over with no further scares.