BERE REGIS 172-8 (19pts) beat POOLE TOWN 171 (7pts) by two wickets

BERE Regis claimed a superbly entertaining and tense two-wicket victory over Poole Town to stir up the Wessex Internet Dorset Premier League title picture.

Coming into this weekend, Bere were fourth and Poole second but throughout the contest they were very evenly matched.

The whole match boiled down to the final two overs, with Bere needing 17 and only two wickets in hand.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man though, as Cam Robertson guided Bere to victory with three balls to spare after a ruthless and calculating 81 not out.

READ MORE: Bere Regis beat Cattistock & Symene by six wickets

Earlier, Poole won the toss, elected to bat first and lost their first five wickets for just 79 runs as scoring proved hard to enact.

Seamers Rob Murphy (2-36) and Rich Payne (1-28) were particularly effective, while Pete Russell (2-51) trapped the dangerous Badrul Alam (30) lbw just as the batter appeared set.

Darren van Niekerk (0) was also run out and suddenly Poole needed a partnership.

They got just that as Mitchell Wilson crunched four sixes and three fours in his 42 from 26 balls, while Jordan Down (40) also scored fluently.

The duo built Poole back up to 145-5 but Russell hit back by dismissing Wilson having conceded 21 in an over.

Sean Walbridge (2-39) chipped in with another big wicket in David Miller (1), caught behind, and then removed Down leg before as Poole crashed to 155-8.

Joey Wormington (16) was later run out to end the innings on 171.

Bere also found the going tough with the bat as Down (2-30) and Alam (2-22) bowled in tandem to reduce the hosts to 72-4, Russell having scored 23.

Robertson took it upon himself to do most of the scoring but Poole worked themselves into a good position as off-spinner Wormington (3-35) claimed three quick scalps.

And, when Rogerson (4) was run out, Bere were still well short of the victory line.

Once more Robertson shouldered the responsibility and almost exclusively scored the remaining runs required.

In the final over, Bere still needed nine runs but Robertson ramped Joe Wilson for four and then took advantage of the resulting field adjustment to hit another boundary and bring the scores level.

He then dashed through for a single to win the game in a grandstand finish as Bere served up a huge statement in the title race, closing to within three points of their opponents.

Speaking to Echosport, Bere skipper Brian Keegan sang the praises of Robertson.

He said: “Cam was the dominant force all the way through and it was the way he batted and how intelligently he batted.

“For example, when you need nine runs off the final over, Joe’s bowling and not a lot of pace in the wicket or pace on the ball, the field is set in front of you.

“First ball, he ramps it down for four. They bring a fielder in and the next ball goes the opposite side for four. Then he smacks the winning run.

“I can’t enthuse enough about that young man’s batting and the way he goes about it.

“He got 60-odd last week at Cattistock and this is another step up with the maturity in his innings. But, when he needed to be destructive, he was.”

Bere Regis Seconds made it a club double, beating Cattistock & Symene by four wickets in County Division Three.