Date and place of Match: Saturday June 23 rd, Away. League: NSA Saturday Division 1.
Scoreboard. Dorchester Second Eleven 173
( R.Waite 38, P.Diffey 28, P.Bassindale 24*, C.Edney 22. S.McDonald 4 - 34, P.Kirby 3 - 43.)
Swanage 174 - 8
( J.Clark 70*, A.Howse 40. P.Carvell 3 - 51. )
Result: Swanage won by 2 wickets.
Details:
A fluctuating game built to the tensest of finishes on a Dorchester pitch with disconcerting bounce. Needing four runs an over after tea, Swanage’s early batsmen struggled to score against excellent seam bowling by R.Waite and I.Curtis. With the innings half gone the score was only 46 - 2. Jonny Clark had by now joined Anton Howse and these two put on 50 for the third wicket. With the required run rate still at almost six an over , Clark was hitting some quality cover drives and towering shots over mid wicket. Waite returned to take two wickets in two balls. More wickets fell so that 8 runs were still needed off the last over with number ten, Ryan Norman, facing. He hit a single. Clark then managed two frantically run twos to the outfield and then a single off the fourth ball. Two to win off two balls. Norman struck a single and the umpire had called a no ball! Swanage had won the match.
Earlier, excellent seam bowling by Guy Watson had pinned Dorchester back but then Waite, Diffey, Edney and Bassindale all prospered against the change bowlers. Inswinger Stuart McDonald then put in an excellent spell to close the Dorchester innings in the final over. His bowling pulled the game back in Swanage’s favour - but only just!
______________________________
Date and place of Match: Sunday June 24 th, Away. League: NSA Sunday Division 3.
Scoreboard: Winterbourne Kingston 197
(M Bragshall 58, S Freak 45. Ron Barker 2-22, Chris Elfes 3-38)
Swanage First Eleven 158 all out.
(P Dyer 26, C Elfes 34, R Norman 24. M Tuck 5-25, A Wooldridge 4-29)
Result: Swanage lost by 39 runs.
Details:
Winterbourne Kingston elected to bat on a blisteringly hot afternoon which made bowling and fielding difficult. At 46-2 a good partnership of 80 between M Bragshall (58) and S Freak (45) swung the match in their favour. The Swanage bowlers fought back, Ron Barker (2-22) and Chris Elfes (3-38) both bowled good spells. However, Winterbourne Kingston finished with an impressive 197 after 45 overs.
In reply Swanage struggled to 45-4, but then a good partnership of 54 between P Dyer and C Elfes put Swanage back on track. Dyer was eventually out for 26, Elfes 34 (including 7 boundaries). Some late blows from Ryan Norman (24) helped the Swanage cause, but they were bowled out in the 42nd over, 39 runs short. M Tuck (5-25) and A Wooldridge (4-29) were the pick of the bowlers for the home side.
________________________________________
Date and place of Match: Sunday June 24 th, at Home. League: NSA Sunday Division 8.
Scoreboard: Mere 228-5
(B Coward 48, M Le Monnier 39, T Cowely 45, P Davie 32* G White 2-12)
Swanage Second Eleven 128 all out
( A King 49. B Coward 2-6, L Hall 5-51, B Batsford 2-14)
Result: Swanage lost by 100 runs.
Details:
A young Swanage side worked hard in the field throughout a hot afternoon in which Mere scored 228-5. The Swanage reply was held together by an impressive innings from Ashley King. Ultimately, the home side could not compete with the large Mere total, falling 100 runs short.