SHERBORNE 271-8 (20pts) beat DORCHESTER 151 (6pts) by 120 runs

WITH a different look to their side on Saturday Dorchester failed to stop defending league champions Sherborne cruising to a 120-run victory at the Rec.

The defeat all but ends the county town side’s title hopes for the season – they are now 39 points behind leaders Wimborne & Colehill with just five games of the campaign left to play.

Having stepped in for regular captain Simon Mitchem for the afternoon, Dorchester’s James Dunham lost the toss and his side were asked to field as title-chasing Sherborne made first use of the wicket with the bat.

And opener Luke Hancock led from the front as he totalled 58 before being caught by Pete Moxom off the bowling of Mike Peak, who had stepped up from the Dorchester second XI and returned impressive figures of 2-36 from 10 overs.

There were also runs for K Boucher (79) before he was dismissed by Dunham, who picked up three wickets.

Dan Belt (1-67) was also asked to do his bit with the ball and picked up the wicket of James Elliot-Square as the visitors reached 271 from their 50 overs.

And, with such a daunting task of chasing 272 for victory, Dorchester never really got close with the bat in reply.

Dan Morris made 49 from 69 deliveries to top score for the hosts, Belt scored 30 at the top of the order, but apart from that duo, nobody in the Dorchester ranks failed to pass 20 as they crumbled to 151 all out.

Speaking after the game, Dunham told Echosport: “We had a few people out which didn’t help but the people who came in were good.

“Mike Peak came up as second team captain and bowled the best for us. He bowled really well. We had to ask Dan (Belt) to come back and bowl a few overs of spin as well.

“With our batting we just lost consistent wickets, which has been a bit of a problem this year. We got ourselves in a bit of a rut but Dan Morris batted well.

“It’s just a bit of a shame really.”

*The county town’s second team were forced to scratch their County Division Three clash at Kingston Lacy, meaning they lose 20 league points.