WIMBORNE 225-7 (19pts) beat DORCHESTER 211-9 (10pts) by 14 runs

DORCHESTER fell to a narrow 14-run defeat as Wessex Internet Dorset Premier League leaders Wimborne landed a solid jab in the title race at The Leaze.

Wimborne remain unbeaten after eight rounds, but Dorchester are just 25 points off the Minstermen who will visit the Rec on the penultimate day.

And the sub-plot to this result saw Dorchester claim losing bonus points, limiting the damage by coming within 10 per cent of Wimborne’s total.

The hosts had earlier made 225-7 from their 50 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

READ MORE: Dorchester beat Cattistock & Symene by six wickets

Dorchester struck a big double blow early on, James Dunham (1-35) removing dangerous captain Ben Bridgen (10) and Dan Belt (1-37) then pinning Joe Kelly (1) lbw.

Wimborne rebuilt adeptly from 25-2 as veteran Colin Randall and Toby Stainer-Reid shared 84 for the third wicket.

Dorchester expertly limited their scoring rate with the introduction of spin and Randall soon perished for a well-crafted 68 as Sathiya Narasimhan (1-39) made the breakthrough.

Stainer-Reid made 39 from 81 balls, playing the anchor role, but his innings was ended by India Over-50s international Krish Subramanian (1-20).

Wimborne needed late impetus from Simon Watkins (47 from 52 balls), Tom Butcher (19) and Graham Cole (21no) to reach a defendable total, despite late wickets for Simon Mitchem (2-37).

Dorchester were looking good in the chase as skipper Jon Legg (37) and Narasimhan scored quickly, taking the visitors to 86-0 in 18 overs.

At that point, Dorchy needed 140 from 32 overs but just one ball later Legg fell to Watkins (2-33).

In the next 29 deliveries, Dorchester scored just four runs and lost Harry Jones, the Kiwi all-rounder hitting one off 17 balls.

Mitchem (2) was next to go and Gautham Rajendar (0) suffered a rare failure when Stainer-Reid (2-37) claimed two wickets in four balls.

Narasimhan (82) then counter-attacked, notching his half-century and adding 35 in a 38-run stand with Belt before Connor Houldsworth (4-40) tempted him out of his ground, Kelly completing the stumping.

Belt resumed where Narasimhan left off but he quickly ran out of partners as Houldsworth claimed three more wickets and Harry Reynolds (1-47) also struck.

When Dunham (11) was dismissed by Houldsworth, Dorchester were 187-9 and staring at defeat without bonus points with 33 balls remaining.

However, Belt (43no) was aided by a gritty knock from last man Subramanian (7no), who kept the ex-Dorset star company and allowed him to push Dorchester over 202 and the ten per cent mark.

Dorchester needed 23 off the final over but this was always improbable, despite Belt hitting a six, and he survived to deprive Wimborne of maximum points.

Speaking to Echosport, Legg said: “I think the difference was losing our first three wickets in quite quick succession. A good platform was set and a couple of poor shots let them back in.

“We actually thought their total was slightly under par, we did well to restrict them to 223. On another day we could easily have chased that three or four down with overs to spare."

He added: "Wimborne can still be caught, they still have to play at Poole Park and come to our place which won’t be easy.

“We just need to keep winning from here and pick up as many points as possible.”

Dorchester were dealt an unwanted hat-trick of defeats as their second team lost to Broadstone Seconds by 31 runs in County Division Three and the third string lost a low-scoring clash to Shaftesbury Seconds by five wickets in Division Six.