CHRISTCHURCH 145 (7pts) lost to MARTINSTOWN 143-3 (20pts) by seven wickets on DLS.

MARTINSTOWN survived rain at Christchurch to book their fourth Wessex Internet Dorset Premier League victory in five games.

Charlie Durant’s men were grateful to the umpires for continuing play at Hurn Bridge when other matches in the BCP area had already called time.

Although rain curtailed their innings, they won by virtue of being ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern when no further play was possible.

As a result, it meant their superb bowling display did not go to waste.

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Town combated Christchurch’s aggressive approach by taking regular wickets, although the visitors did drop their fair share of chances.

Dave Trotter was the unluckiest of Martinstown’s bowlers as he took 2-50, his figures inflated after chances went down off his bowling.

Jacob Coombs (1-32) also made an early breakthrough to dismiss Will Marsh (4) and thereafter it was the Durant show.

The left-arm spinner bowled three victims, including the attacking Thomas Hughes (44) and Liam Bowater (14), had two more caught and another trapped lbw.

His wonderful 6-32 gave him his best senior figures for Martinstown.

And there was further cause for celebration when 15-year-old leg-spinner Jadan Gerety (1-19) finished off the innings, Nick Marsh (13) caught by Sean Williams, for his maiden first-team wicket.

Town were up to the challenge of chasing 146 despite conditions being far from ideal and after losing Henry Lewis (0) and Will Maltby (11) to Henry Hayes (1-38) and Spencer Briars (1-22) early on.

Martinstown battled back from 19-2 with a commanding 87-run partnership between Williams and Steve Gerety, two batters who have this season struggled for runs.

Gerety (51) was first to reach his half-century, scoring nine fours in his 56-ball knock, before succumbing to Nick Marsh (1-18).

At that stage, Martinstown were 106-3 but Williams (64no) then took the responsibility upon his shoulders to bring his team home, finding the boundary 12 times in his mature innings.

Durant told Echosport: “They come out and attack from ball one, there’s no building an innings, they go.

“As a spinner, you enjoy that situation where they’re coming after you. It creates chances.

“Dave got very unlucky, he could’ve had 4-20, instead he ended up with 2-50. As a bowling unit we were really happy to keep them to 145.”

On his own performance, Durant added: “It was nice to contribute. I dropped a catch in the first over so I thought I’d better pull my finger out and pull something off.”

Durant gave final praise to batting stars Williams and Gerety.

He said: “Both Sean and Steve have struggled with the bat this year and it was a good time for them to get their first fifties this season when the two form batsmen have gone cheaply.

“It was an important knock for both of them.”