Symene Sports beat Winton by 144 runs

SYMENE Sports continued to demonstrate their promotion credentials with a crushing 144-run defeat of, and a league double over, County Division Three rivals Winton.

This was a match where nobody wanted to hang around especially long.

Symene lost opening batter Wes Lewis for 12 off the fourth ball of the match but Winton then had to wait until the 33rd over before their next wicket, dismissing Sam Challis for a brilliant 121 runs made off just 109 balls, including seven sixes and 13 fours.

Challis found the perfect partner in Luke King who matched him run-for-run on his way to a magnificent 112 not out as the pair added 230 for the second wicket.

READ MORE: In-form Symene take hat-trick of wins

Sam Good added an undefeated 12 and Toby Hall weighed in with 27 not out off 15 balls.

After the break, Winton had little option to set out all guns blazing but despite having some success against Robin Jones, the relentless accuracy of Bradley Wilkinson, who conceded just six runs from five overs, kept things tight at the other end.

Ethan Robertson applied further pressure but Sam Challis and Luke King were uncharacteristically expensive with the ball.

Soham Ghali’s brisk 36 was matched by Shardul Tomar’s 30 but it was in vain as Symene romped home in the 32nd over.

DORCHESTER III 134 (5pts) lost to SYMENE SPORTS II 136-5 (20pts) by five wickets

SYMENE Sports Seconds rounded off a perfect month of victories with a convincing five-wicket win over Dorchester Thirds at St Osmund’s in Division Six West.

Skipper David Hart won the toss in hot, dusty conditions and with spinners Joe Etherington and Jack Bartlett at his disposal, bowling first proved a straightforward decision.

Seamer George Wyrill removed home captain Luke Lovett for 21 and Dorchester were coasting at 78-2 until Ben King’s innings was ended, spectacularly run out in the 11th over for 20 by the ageless wicketkeeper Phil Hawkins.

But then the innings was totally dismantled by Bartlett who removed four middle order batters in the space of 21 deliveries, twice being on a hat-trick, eventually returning 5-24 as the hosts were bundled out for a below-par 136 inside 34 overs.

Batting second, Symene batted sensibly with Lucas Richards’ 30 providing the ideal foundation.

The loss of in-form Justin Gurd for seven was the only setback inside the first 10 overs.

Luke Robertson added a muscular 15 and Archie Kershaw made 17 but the arrival of Wyrill, making a rare appearance with the bat, accelerated the match to a hasty conclusion with a sparkling 32 not out.