BROADSTONE 175 (6pts) lost to MARTINSTOWN 177-7 (20pts) by three wickets

MARTINSTOWN collected their first back-to-back wins under skipper Charlie Durant courtesy of a three-wicket success at Broadstone.

Since Durant became captain in 2022, Town had not taken consecutive victories in the Wessex Internet Dorset Premier League.

But they erased that statistic with a solid performance at the Delph, despite losing the toss and being invited to field.

Broadstone initially made good progress after Jacob Coombs (3-53) bowled Frankie Gamble, as Tommy Jack and Matty Whittle moved the hosts to 65-1.

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However, Martinstown then began to take wickets frequently and eroded Broadstone’s innings down to 137-8.

Chief tormentors for Broadstone were Fraser Hill (5-44) and Tom Pope (2-21), the duo decimating the home middle order.

Ben Parkin (31no) and Harry Leadbeater (30) did produce solid knocks to take Broadstone above 160 but Coombs returned to mop up the final two wickets as Town dismissed their opponents for 175.

Martinstown found themselves in early trouble at 30-3 as Leadbeater (4-24) removed Steve Gerety (2), Will Maltby (0) and Henry Lewis (5).

Sean Williams (36) resisted the home attack, along with brother Finlay, and crunched eight boundaries before succumbing to Peter Thompson (2-42).

Finlay (54) then picked up the baton and scored almost exclusively, continuing despite losing Hill (9) to Thompson.

He scored 33 of a 47-run stand with Pope to notch his first Saturday half-century of the season, until his 88-ball stay was ended by the returning Leadbeater.

Williams had set the platform, though, and Pope (20no) and Coombs (13no) finished the chase off with a flurry of boundaries to guide the visitors home with 44 balls remaining.

Speaking to Echosport, Durant enjoyed emerging victorious on what he believed to be a “spicy” deck.

He said: “It’s the first time of doing (back-to-back wins) and it feels very nice, we’re heading in the right direction.

“The pitch was quite spicy but Fraser has really stepped up. He’s struggled, I’m sure he won’t mind me saying, in the first part of the season.

“We needed him, he’s bowled lovely and taken a fifer and Jacob’s bowled really well. Tom has taken two so I can’t complain when my makeshift attack gets all ten.”

And Durant also reserved praise for the Williams brothers.

“Again, two guys that have struggled this year,” he said. “They’ve come in at a tough time, done really well and seen us home.

“It was a good innings from Tom as well to get us over the line.”

Martinstown lost by nine runs to Cheselbourne in County Division Four.