KINGSTON LACY 127 (6pts) lost to BEAMINSTER 131-9 (18pts) by one wicket

BEAMINSTER were grateful for their young tail who held their nerve to guide the visitors to victory in a tense and exciting game in County Division Two.

On a difficult surface with variable bounce, Kingston Lacy won the toss and elected to bat first.

Dave Persey bowled an excellent opening spell taking four top-order wickets.

Change bowlers Simon Jones (1-16) and Beaminster captain Ross Baker (2-20) continued to exert pressure as the home team slumped to 46-5.

However, two straightforward catches were spilled to allow Kingston Lacy to rebuild as they formed a crucial sixth wicket partnership.

Rich Runyard bowled an aggressive spell and took two late order wickets to end the innings on 127.

In reply, Beaminster’s top order were blown away by Kingston Lacy’s opening bowlers and only a hard-hitting 28 from opener Ross Baker offered resistance.

Batting at six, Leo Gurd (46) fought determinedly to hold the innings together.

In a tense finale that ebbed and flowed, Beaminster lost wickets at regular intervals.

With one wicket and just 10 balls remaining, Will Moss (7) and Oli Bareham (3) held their nerve and batted maturely to ensure Beaminster gained a vital victory by one wicket.

Beaminster captain Baker said: “It was quite an unusual match, the wicket was very lively.

“It was quite an uneven surface, sometimes the ball was whistling past your face the next ball was down by your ankles.”

Baker admitted a new ball made it tricky at first to bat.

Baker said: “With the new ball it was particularly difficult to bat at first, once the ball got softer it seemed just about playable but quite an unusual wicket and challenging for both teams.

“It was quite exciting, it made for a very tense end to the game and we did really well just to get over the line.”

The result leaves Beaminster sixth in the table, with 144 points, 20 behind fifth-placed Blandford.