CATTISTOCK & SYMENE 105 (2pts) lost to BERE REGIS 106-3 (20pts) by seven wickets

BERE Regis stormed to a seven-wicket victory at relegation-threatened Cattistock & Symene in the Dorset Premier League.

While Bere are best of the rest behind the top three of Poole, Dorchester and Wimborne, it was Cattistock who needed the points more given their situation in the table.

Instead, they saw bottom side Puddletown close the gap to nine points despite their loss to Christchurch.

Foxes’ skipper Steve Tucker won the toss and chose to bat but had not bargained on Rob Murphy (3-28) and Matt King (3-31) being in exceptional form with the ball.

READ MORE: Cattistock & Symene beat Broadstone by 51 runs

The duo ripped through Cattistock’s batting order, reducing them to 28-6 as a complete humiliation briefly looked on the cards.

Tucker, though, as he so often has done this season, dug deep to score 48 including five fours and two sixes, ably assisted by George Wyrill’s 22.

However, two run outs later, Tucker had only just helped Cattistock & Symene over 100 before Pete Russell (1-22) stopped him short of a battling fifty.

And Sam Goodhew (1-22) picked up the final wicket to fall as Bere bowled the Foxes out for 105 in just 23.5 overs.

What followed was scarcely believable as a fine opening gambit from Bradley Mullins (2-31) and Wyrill (1-45) castled Bere’s top three batters.

However, after seeing off his first six balls for dots, Cameron Robertson launched into rocket mode with 77 from his next 26 balls.

The 21-year-old blasted an outrageous 11 boundaries and five sixes as he obliterated the Foxes’ attack.

Tom Goodhew (15no from 10) played a mere supporting role as Bere finished the contest in 11.2 overs, ensuring the match was over after just two and a half hours.

CATTISTOCK & SYMENE II 111 (4pts) lost to ABBOTSBURY 113-5 (20pts) by five wickets

CATTISTOCK & Symene continued their late-season slump with a five-wicket defeat by Abbotsbury in County Division Three.

The Foxes are now fifth, 33 points behind leaders Cerne Valley having been in the hunt for the title at halfway.

Opening batters Sam Challis and Reuben Kingston got proceedings off to a flying start but the introduction of first change Chas Duerdoth in the third over, with the score already on 23, dramatically changed the course of the innings.

Duerdoth triggered a batting collapse, dismissing five of the top six and enforcing a procession back to the pavilion on his way to a 5-33 analysis.

Harry Angel, with imaginative, wristy strokeplay, scored a defiant 56 but the tailenders could not stay alongside him to underpin the innings with a competitive partnership and the Foxes were dismissed for 'Nelson' – a score of 111 – in the 21st over.

The low target compelled the hosts to set an attacking field in searching for early wickets but without success.

Bradley Wilkinson induced Simon Pengelly to bottom-edge a snorter to Mark Tozer with the score on 33 but fellow opener Alex Drew provided the necessary solid platform alongside Nick Kneebone in a pivotal 49-run partnership for the second-wicket before being bowled by James Boulton for 29.

Boulton’s 3-14 briefly gave the visitors a scare but in the end the five-wicket victory was secured as soon as the 22nd over.

SWANAGE III 298-2 (18pts) beat CATTISTOCK & SYMENE III 237-7 (6pts) by 61 runs

Despite conceding a mammoth score and taking just two wickets, Leo Gurd’s Cattistock & Symene Thirds team made a typically valiant attempt to pull off an improbable win at Swanage in County Division Six.

Given the blistering conditions, it was an unfortunate toss to lose and despite Ollie James bowling both openers to leave Swans reeling at 27-2, the visitors spent the rest of the afternoon chasing leather as Tim Ives (135no) and David Alcock (109no) racked up an unbroken 271-run partnership for the third wicket.

Gurd rotated eight bowlers in an attempt to break through and despite the onslaught all emerged with creditable analyses under the circumstances.

After tea, the Foxes' top six batters all mustered double figures with Lloyd Cleal and veteran Graham Bartlett joint top-scoring with 56, while Ben Elliott made 38 and all-rounder Jack Bartlett 16.

The asking rate duly reached impossible heights and the visitors battened down the hatches to deny the Swans maximum points as the overs ran out.

Alan Marks, with 2-27, was the pick of the Swanage bowlers.

Curiously, eight of the nine wickets to fall in the match were dismissed bowled, reflecting the prevailing conditions and the visitors still emerged with a creditable six points.