Beaminster beat Weymouth by 117 runs

WEYMOUTH lost an ill-tempered County Division Two clash with Beaminster by 117 runs at Redlands to all but end their hopes of promotion.

Harry Mitchell’s Seasiders are now 73 points behind leaders Beaminster with just 100 points to play for in the final five matches.

With Chalke Valley in second, trailing Beaminster by only six points, sixth-placed Weymouth need a miracle to return to Division One at the first time of asking.

Weymouth won the toss but decided to bowl first on a green but hard wicket, Beaminster capitalising on the good batting conditions early on.

READ MORE: Beaminster beat Corfe Mullen by three wickets

However, the major – and unsavoury – flashpoint of the game came when Beaminster captain Chris Park nicked off towards second slip in the fourth over.

Weymouth felt the catch carried by a good margin, only for the visiting umpire to turn down their appeals.

A select few players from either side were then involved in a barbed war of words, halting the game for five minutes before both captains calmed the situation and agreed to play on.

Beaminster channelled their energies into the opening stand as Park and Will Moss shared an excellent century stand under the circumstances.

Park (58) had plundered ten fours and a six in reaching his half-century before he lofted a catch to Lloyd Beals off the bowling of Mitchell (2-35).

Ben Golledge (2) was then trapped lbw by Mitchell but Moss was joined by brother Adam (23) who then departed to leg-spinner Shafeek Urumancheri (1-38).

Beaminster pushed the tempo as Will Moss passed 50 but Weymouth hit back when Beals (1-27) bowled Simon Jones (9) and claimed two run outs.

But Beaminster gave a timely reminder of why they top the table as James Edmunds smacked 31 from 17 balls, including four boundaries and a six.

And Will Moss hit ten fours in carrying his bat for a superb career-high 74 to help the away side post 235-7 from 45 overs.

Weymouth never got close in their reply as another poor batting display saw their top order collapse.

While it was not the 55-9 in the reverse game that the Seasiders somehow recovered from to win, Beaminster leg-spinner Ollie Bareham spun his web to finish with 4-25.

Jack Sapsworth (4), Mitchell (9) and Paul Payne (6) all fell victim to him, while Nick Hollely (1-18) dismissed Beals (8) caught and bowled for the second time this season.

With the top four gone, Weymouth were reduced to several cameo innings.

Marco Nott hit 32 with five fours, Urumancheri 14 from 14 balls with three boundaries and Pete Sapsworth 15 from 12 balls, including three fours.

Young off-spinner Paul Edwards was the pick of the bowlers late on, claiming 3-36 as Beaminster locked up the full 22 points for their 11th win of an outstanding season.

Speaking to the Bridport News, Park said: “To score 230-plus was beyond my wildest dreams. We didn’t have a strong batting line-up, so everyone stepped up.

“We always thought we would defend it, if I’m honest. It’s a big ground and you’ve only got to stop the boundaries.

“To get them out for 118 I’m delighted.”

Beaminster now host Shillingstone on Saturday – and Park revealed he has still not allowed himself to peek at the league table.

“I can’t even after a few beers on a Saturday when I’m going to bed,” he admitted.

“I just take it week by week. They scratched against Chalke Valley last week but they could put out a decent side and turn us over if we’re not on our game.

“We’ll do the same as we always do – turn up expecting to win and fingers crossed we do.”

Ross Baker comes back at the expense of Edwards in Beaminster’s only change.

Beaminster: Park, W Moss, Golledge, Baker, A Moss, Fowler, Jones, Abeywickrama, O Bareham, Edmunds, Hollely

Speaking to the Dorset Echo, Mitchell said: "It was the wrong decision to bowl first on a green top. I tried to use it to our advantage to take some early wickets but it didn't happen.

"Lloyd bowled well first up but the other seamers were off it to start, they were going at five to eight-an-over for the first ten. I don't think Lloyd got the support he needed.

"They're better than that, they just had an off day. I thought myself and Shaf bowled well to bring it back.

"At 235, I thought they were light of what they wanted and we had a fighting chance at halfway.

"Then the batting was too many loose shots, lapses in concentration. People were under par.

"Lots of shots we haven't seen too often from certain players and others undercooked.

"That showed. We were lacking experience and cricketing intelligence with the bat.

"It's the same old story all season where the top order batters haven't been there all year.

"When you're chasing 235 you need that experience. It's disappointing how we crumbled under the pressure. It was poor."