1st X1 Symene 227/8 (20pts) beat Poole 3rds 85 a.o. (5pts) by 142 runs

By ​Nick Skyrme

Symene dodged the showers to dramatically blow open the race for second place, and promotion, in Division Three with this heavy defeat of Poole 3rds. Close rivals Kingston Lacy were stymied by the weather, and Symene closed the gap between them to just four points with the final round of fixtures to play on Saturday.

Symene batted first and despite losing skipper Leo Gurd in the first over, racked up a commanding total. Reuben Kingston’s 23 steadied the ship with Sam Challis, unaccustomedly taking guard in the first over, adding a typically classy 56. Wes Lewis contributed a boundary-studded 36 and all-rounder Ed Maltby made a run-a-ball 36 to propel the total beyond 200. Poole bowler Liam O’Hara’s 3/36 was a creditable return under the circumstances. 

After tea the home bowlers quickly asserted themselves although they were delayed until the 9th over before Ethan Robertson made the first breakthrough. Robertson’s 1/18 and Rob Jones’s 1/10 squeezed out any chance of fast reply. Poole took the score to 30/2 until Lewis dismissed No.4 Rojan Thomas to trigger a collapse to 35/7. All seven of Gurd’s bowlers took wickets with Jake Jobson’s 4/11 especially noteworthy as the hosts romped home in the 29th over.

Symene 2nds did not have a fixture this weekend.