BEAMINSTER 257-7 (19pts) beat PARLEY II 215-8 (8pts) by 42 runs

BEAMINSTER continued their fine form, taking an eighth win of the County Division Two season by doing the double over Parley Seconds.

Chris Park’s men won by 42 runs having built to a total of 257-7 from 45 overs, Beaminster’s experienced attack defending the total without alarm.

Victory ensured Beaminster remained top of the standings, although Chalke Valley closed to within a point of the leaders following a maximum-point win over Corfe Mullen.

Beaminster won the toss and chose to bat, streaking to 68-0 from 16 overs with Park heavily in the runs.

READ MORE: Beaminster fightback stuns Shaftesbury

He fell six short of a half-century, having hit seven fours, as Henry Evans (3-53) trapped him lbw.

Will Moss (19), Ross Baker (20) and Ben Golledge (26) all scored numerous boundaries in their knocks but could not kick on to bigger scores.

That honour fell to the supreme Adam Moss, his appetite for runs carrying Beaminster to another big score.

Moss (77no), who now has an average of 80.40, chalked up his third half-century this season with ten fours and three maximums, helping Beaminster set Parley 258 to win.

Beaminster made early inroads into the Parley innings, with wickets shared around, although the key scalp came via a spectacular catch from Baker.

David Doust (35) was looking well set and in dangerous mood, having crunched six fours and a maximum already.

However, Baker showed incredible reflexes to grab on to a top edge off James Edmunds (2-58) to send Doust packing.

Parley were now 112-5 but Golledge (1-21) removed Manas Sinha (20) and Baker (2-29) had the powerful Matt King (11) wonderfully pouched at slip as Beaminster turned the screw.

Ben Dawson (40no) Ben Blackford (27no) did not read the script, though, and deprived Beaminster of the final bowling point, closing on 215-8.

Speaking to the Bridport News, Park said: “It was very much a team effort all round. Everyone contributed with the bat.

“Adam is in scintillating form this year and you know if you can get a platform set for him, you’re going to push 200-plus pretty much every week, which is a lovely feeling to have.

“When you’ve got people like Ross and Jonesy (Simon Jones) who can bat in the top six and you can rely on 18 overs from, it certainly helps.”

He added: “We didn’t take full points but Chalke Valley are probably the best side in the division. We’re above our station, I feel.

“Even though we’ve won so many games I feel we’re not the best team in the league.”

Beaminster head to Dorchester Rec to face bottom side Dorchester Seconds on Saturday (1.30pm).

Park said: “A local derby, it’s going to fun – it always is. I think they’re bottom and they’re struggling this year.

“You’ve got to be careful going into games like this. We’ve got to be on our mettle, same as every other game. We won’t take them lightly and just concentrate on ourselves.”

Beaminster make three changes, with John Gudge, Oliver Hey and Dan Hillier missing out for Tom Fowler, Lahiru Abeywickrama and Henry Everitt.