Foxes’ seconds seal emphatic 20 points

CATTISTOCK & Symene beat nine-man Witchampton Seconds by 127 runs in their first County Division Four game at Symondsbury this season.

Foxes’ captain Sam Good won the toss and chose to bat first.

Wes Lewis (8) struck back-to-back boundaries before being bowled by James Allaway (3-52) and Luke King opened his account with successive maximums.

King was joined by Reuben Kingston and together they ensured there were no more early wickets lost.

Both peppered the boundary but the partnership fell just short of 100 as King was dismissed for 43 with five fours and three sixes.

Kingston found support from Toby Hall and soon reached his half century, comprised of five fours and two sixes.

Kingston (53) was next man out to Eli Cull (1-38) and Harry Angel (12) followed soon after, bringing Sam Challis to the crease.

READ MORE: Christchurch deny Foxes first win

The power hitting of Hall married up perfectly with the classy stroke play of Challis.

Together they took the score past 200 and both raised their bat to the appreciative crowd as they each passed 50.

They both made it to 54 before being dismissed, but the runs did not stop there.

Good came to the crease and cracked a swashbuckling 42 runs, clearing the boundary six times in the process. Further runs from Joe Etherington (8no) and George Wyrill (16no) saw the Foxes up to 299-7 after 40 overs.

As the Witches opened their reply, Etherington made the first breakthrough, bowling Damon Guirdam (4).

A partnership began to build for the away team but Wyrill (1-36) kept the pressure on and made the breakthrough, paving way for Etherington (3-31) to pick up wickets at the other end.

The Foxes, only needing eight wickets to bowl out their opposition, took wickets throughout with Hall (1-36) and Good (2-23) bowling impressive spells in the heat.

James Allaway (40) and Aaron Allaway (43) both batted commendably in the face of defeat, striking 13 fours between them, but both perished to Challis and Good.

Cattistock & Symene were made to wait for the final wicket and it was down to Challis (1-15) in the penultimate over to claim the final wicket and secure 20 points.

Good said: “I am over the moon with this performance from the lads, everyone contributed with the bat but those knocks from Luke, Reuben, Toby and Chally were awesome.

“Last weekend this opposition only lost two wickets when set a high target so we knew we would have to work hard. George and Joe did well with the new ball to get us into their middle order and the rest of the lads stuck to task well.

“The teams around us also picked up 20 points so getting that final wicket was key.”

How did the first team get on?

CATTISTOCK & SYMENE 107 (1pt) lost to DORCHESTER 108-1 (20pts) by nine wickets

Jack Owens took 3-32 and scored 42 for Dorchester Picture: NEIL WALTON

ELSEWHERE, winless Cattistock & Symene were comfortably beaten by nine wickets as reigning champions Dorchester extended their Dorset Funeral Plan Premier League lead to 17 points.

Dorchy’s fifth win of the campaign was based on a destructive bowling performance which reduced the Foxes to 58-9 before the hosts rallied to reach 107 all out.

After winning the toss and batting, Cattistock were in all sorts of trouble at 0-3 as Dan Belt (3-22) and Dunham (3-23) bulldozed through the top order.

Jason Bradley, Ben Golledge and Billy Wallbridge all got ducks before a counter-attacking 14 from eight balls by Liam Toohill finally got the hosts rolling.

However, when Belt dismissed the Foxes’ number four, Dunham chipped in with the wickets of Ollie Legg (0) and Sam Baker (8) to leave Cattistock reeling on 30-6.

Jack Owens (3-32) then tore through the tail end, rustling the timbers of Leo Gurd (8), Foxes’ skipper Brad Damen (6) and Bradley Mullins (8) as Cattistock hobbled to 58-9.

Showing their fighting spirit, the Foxes were propelled into three figures by a brave last-wicket stand of 49 between Thomas Stewart (30no) and Ethan Robertson.

Stewart’s unbeaten 30 in 30 balls contained six fours but when Simon Mitchem (1-15) removed Robertson (12) Dorchester had just 108 to chase.

Their reply duly got off to a flier when Owens and Jim Ryall (23) roared to 80-0 before Stewart (1-23) trapped the latter leg before.

Owens carted eight fours and a six in an impressive 42 not out and the finishing touches were applied by Eral Anderson (12no) as Dorchester serenely hunted down maximum points in just 16 overs.

What was the outcome for the Foxes' thirds?

IN COUNTY Division Five North & West, Cattistock & Symene’s third team lost by 77 runs on the artificial pitch at Cheselbourne after fielding first.

Opening bowlers Oliver James and Bradley Wilkinson bowled well without reward.

First change bowlers Damien Barnard (3-12) and Oliver Boxall (2-48) bowled incredibly well and were able to dismiss the hosts’ top order.

A partnership began to develop for the sixth wicket but skipper Graham Bartlett came on and picked up two wickets in two balls, dismissing Henry Cox (37) and David Gainey (33).

The returning James (1-21) and Bartlett (3-3) rounded off the innings as the Foxes bowled out a team for the first time this year, Cheselbourne finishing on 173 all out.

In reply, Justin Gurd (9) and Nigel Toohill (3) made a cautious start, although both soon found themselves back in the pavilion as Toby Kelly (4-8) starred with the ball.

There were notable scores throughout from Oliver James (12), Graham Bartlett (20) and Oliver Boxall (24no) but the Foxes fell short, bowled out for 96.