Bere Regis beat Cattistock & Symene by 199 runs

BERE Regis stormed to an emphatic 199-run victory over struggling Cattistock & Symene to record their fourth straight Dorset Premier League win.

Brian Keegan’s men are now up to second in the standings after previous leaders Dorchester lost at new table toppers Wimborne.

A feature of Bere’s impressive start to the season has been their ability to score big runs and this match was no different as they piled the pressure on the winless Foxes.

Cattistock bowled a gluttony of wides early on and allowed Bere’s openers to construct a half-century stand.

READ MORE: Bere Regis beat Christchurch by 62 runs

George Wyrill (3-36) hit back with the wickets of last week’s centurion Pete Russell plus Sam Goodhew (both 9) as Cattistock checked Bere at 85-2.

However, in-form Cam Robertson lifted the run rate with a typically swift 32 from 31 balls in support of Matt King, who moved past 50 with ease.

Robertson carved six fours and a maximum before he perished to off-spinner Ollie Legg (3-57) who then bowled King (77), having struck 11 boundaries and three sixes in his magnificent innings.

At 162-4, Rich Payne (38) and Rich Cole (27no) both provided late impetus as Bere added a further 105 runs to post an imposing 269-7, boosted by a damaging 50 extras.

In reply, Cattistock & Symene made a positive start as Wes Lewis (31) blasted five fours and a six in the early exchanges.

Bere responded when Luke King was bowled by Payne (1-35) for a 15-ball duck and Lewis was trapped lbw by King (3-14).

King enjoyed a superb all-round game as he proceeded to clamp down on the Foxes’ runs and take wickets, Jason Bradley and Kieran Connolly (both 4) departing either side of Wyrill (0) being run out.

Cattistock were now 55-5 and staring down the barrel of a big defeat, which was completed thanks to the introduction of Goodhew.

The all-rounder extracted sharp turn from the Bere wicket and took a stunning 5-5 from just four overs as the Foxes were rolled over for just 70.

They also returned to the bottom of the table after Puddletown claimed five points from their two-wicket loss to Christchurch.

ABBOTSBURY 142-8 (20pts) beat CATTISTOCK & SYMENE II 120 (6pts) by 22 runs

CATTISTOCK & Symene Seconds fell to their first defeat of the season with a 22-run reverse at neighbours Abbotsbury as the Swans closed the gap to the Foxes to three points in the County Division Three table. 

Despite economical opening spells from opening pace bowlers Robin Jones and Ben Strong, the visitors were unable to secure an early breakthrough as Alex Drew (32) and Simon Pengelly (26) batted serenely in an opening partnership of 67. 

It was only when skipper Reuben Kingston turned to the wily spin of Graham Bartlett that the match turned  in favour of the visitors. 

Bartlett (3-24) ripped out the top three in short order, all bowled, and the veteran used the spin-friendly conditions to induce a clatter of wickets that saw the Abbotsbury top four dismissed in the space of six runs to reach 73-4. 

However, the visitors were unable to press home the advantage as Kynan Brian made a decisive 39, including one humongous six, to hold up the innings and he marshalled the tail to reach a competitive total of 142.

Cattistock & Symene’s reply was in trouble as it slumped to 39-3 until Harry Angel wrestled back the initiative with a blistering 49 to give the visitors a scent of a victory. 

Pengelly’s spin pinned back the middle order to tilt the match back in Abbotsbury’s favour and when he dismissed the dangerous Jones (1), the tail was exposed to the returning Elliott Gunn (3-25) who, despite some defiance from James Boulton (11), mopped up proceedings with six overs to spare. 

This result saw Cattistock & Symene slip to second in the table behind unbeaten Cerne Valley with Abbotsbury now hard on their heels.

CATTISTOCK & SYMENE III 66-9 (2pts) lost to SWANAGE III 164-5 (19pts) by 98 runs

CATTISTOCK & Symene Thirds made it an unfortunate hat-trick of losses for the club as they went down to a 98-run loss to Swanage Thirds at Symondsbury in County Division Six.

The Foxes were hampered by the absence of their experienced cohort of players and the team was down to the bare bones of selection, yet nevertheless put up a brave effort. 

Fielding first, Jade Wilkinson got the home side off to a flying start with the removal of Chris Wood (5) in the second over. 

The Swans were reeling at 14-2 when Wilkinson repeated the trick by clean bowling Jon Maidman (0) soon afterwards. 

James Harding and Tim Ives staged a recovery before the patient Harding (24) was caught off the bowling of Luke Sibley. 

Bradley Wilkinson bowled with customary pace and control to keep a lid on things and got his reward by removing Ives for 69 with the last ball of the innings to finish with outstanding figures of 1-19 from his seven overs.

The Foxes began the run chase in fine style with skipper Leo Gurd blasting a speedy 22 but when Lloyd Cleal was run out for a duck, this triggered a middle order collapse to 39-4. 

Archie Mullins offered resistance with a quickfire 12 off just seven balls and a defiant Oliver James remained undefeated at the close with 11 not out. 

Tight bowling from all the Swanage bowlers kept the home team in check with Harding finishing with 2-19 and the run-out to cap off a good win for the visitors.