POOLE TOWN 175-9 (8pts) v DORCHESTER 8-0 (9pts) – match abandoned

DORCHESTER’S long-awaited contest with Wessex Internet Dorset Premier League holders Poole Park ended on a soggy note as rain forced an early end.

Pre-match, Dorchester were second and Poole third with the pair knowing victory was crucial to keep pace with leaders Wimborne.

After winning the toss and choosing to field, Dorchester put themselves in an ideal position, keeping Poole to 175-9 before rain came.

Debutant Jamie Stewart (3-43) and skipper Jon Legg (2-11) impressed as Dorchester bowled well.

READ MORE: Dorchester beat Christchurch by ten wickets

Despite their efforts, a late flurry of runs from Darren van Niekerk (54) and David Miller (34) gave Poole a defendable total.

However, with rain persisting, only four overs of Dorchester’s chase were played, Legg (6no) and Sathiya Narasimhan (0no) finishing unbeaten as the visitors reached 8-0.

They did claim nine points to Poole’s eight, although Wimborne gained a point on them after taking ten from their abandoned home meeting with Bere Regis.

Legg told Echosport: “I think we bowled fantastically. There was probably a five-over period where we let our foot off the pedal a bit but we brought it back after that.

“The seamers bowled fantastically and restricted runs whilst taking a wicket at regular intervals.”

Dorchester Seconds beat Kingston Lacy by 43 runs in County Division Three.