CATTISTOCK & SYMENE 103 (9pts) lost to PUDDLETOWN 113 (16pts) by ten runs

PUDDLETOWN delivered a stunning bowling display to earn their first Dorset Premier League victory at the expense of Cattistock & Symene.

Steve Tucker’s Foxes had done superbly well to bowl Puddle out for 113 but then came unstuck with the bat as Ryan Norman took 6-16, the hosts crashing to 103 all out.

Puddletown now go eight points above their winless opponents, who lose ground at the bottom of the table.

George Wyrill (1-17) and Ethan Robertson (1-12) both struck early on after Tucker won the toss and chose to field.

READ MORE: Dorset beat Buckinghamshire by three wickets

The big partnership of the day then came from James Mitchell (36) and skipper Adam Barrett (16), who shared a half-century stand for the third wicket.

That was until Aaron Baston (2-37), Ollie Legg (2-17) and Luke King (4-10) bulldozed through the remainder of the innings to bowl Puddletown out for 113.

However, stirring up the courage from their victory last season against Weymouth in an almost identical situation, Puddletown got to work.

After seeing off opening bowlers Adam Weir and Callum Chaldecott (both 1-24), Wes Lewis (4) and King (5) fell cheaply to left-arm spinner Rob Snow (2-36).

From there, it was the Norman show as the seamer ripped through the Foxes’ entire middle order, nipping the ball about with menace.

Brad Mullins (28) provided the strongest resistance but he too eventually perished to Norman, nicking behind to Reegan Norman who took a good low catch.

It was then left to Weir and Chaldecott to finish off the innings, extras (29) being the Foxes’ top scorer on another dismal day with the bat.

Reflecting on the win, all-rounder Snow said: “It was typical Puddletown and badly needed.

“We’ve struggled with availability, had some key players out, but we’ve competed in the other games.

“It was pretty clear pretty quickly that anything over 100 was going to be a decent score.

“We managed to get to that, James batted brilliantly. He and Adam batted for an hour and a half and put on 67 of the 113.”

He added: “Ryan bowled great and it was kind of his pitch. Just the right pace, he’s pretty good at hitting the seam and it was his day.

“He bowled really well. That key wicket of Brad Mullins was the turning point and we kept the pressure on.

“He was taking wickets at regular intervals and Callum got the final one with them needing 11.”

Losing captain Tucker, said: “It’s disappointing to come out on the wrong side of a close game, especially when the teams were so well matched. Once again, our batting has let us down in a game that was there for the taking.

“You can’t afford to give wickets away in the manner we are in this league and it cost us.

“Congratulations to Adam and his team on their first Prem win. We look forward to playing them again later in the season.”