WITCHAMPTON 63-9 beat BEAMINSTER 62 by one wicket

BEAMINSTER narrowly missed out on seventh place in Division Two as Witchampton clinched a nailbiting one-wicket victory.

Away captain Ross Baker chose to bat but Witchampton soon had Beaminster in all sorts of bother at 51-6 as Harrison Bowles took 4-22 and Ricky Hempstead 2-28.

Baker (15) and Rich Runyard (10) were the only men to pass double figures as Adam Croker (3-3) mopped up the tail to bowl the visitors out for 62.

On a green, misbehaving wicket, Nick Hollely produced an astonishing spell, taking career-best figures of 7-19 as the Witches toiled.

With opener P Lewis (34no) resisting, Beaminster spinners Henry Everitt (1-31) and Ollie Bareham (1-8) got their side desperately close to victory, only for the Witches to prevail in a thrilling finish.

Baker said: “It was a very exciting game in the end and a bit bizarre the way it panned out.

“I batted for about 15 overs and I could’ve been out six times. It was doing all sorts, rising off a length and scooting off the ground. Not the best to bat on.

“Nick took seven and bowled really well. He was bowling straight, stump to stump, quite full, and it was doing all sorts.”

“He’s stepped up this year because he’s more of a senior bowler now.

“Without Daniel (Swift) he’s taken on the role of our senior bowler. He’s shown real determination to work on his game and he bowled really well, he can be proud of himself.”

Baker added: “It had a real end-of-season feel about it because both teams were under strength.

“We gave a chance to a few young players to make their debut and they did really well.

“Anyone with a bit of pace was really hard to face. We managed to scramble to 62 which is not a great score but in the context it was almost defendable because they struggled just as much.”